Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY!
by Leonaria Dragonbane
Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren’t even third class citizens – they have no status at all.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY!

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

A/N This is going to be along the lines of an old epic, VERY long, and I am not playing when I say rated M. There will be some underage sexuality within the piece – deal, I don't condone it, but let's face it, it is a fact of life. There will be underage violence and brutality, graphic violence, language and action, I'm not going for a fluffy character piece here. For those who have read some of my other works, epic story arcs are nothing new, and this will follow the OC from her awakening – until…we'll see. This will contain multiple characters from the X-Men universe, but hey, this is me, so you know the MAIN one will be Sabretooth

Sit back, relax, and welcome to my version of Mutant Hell.

XXXXXXXXX

She was trembling in the rain. It was cold, and wet, and she was hungry. It wasn't nearly the adventure she'd hoped it would be. Her mutation wasn't fully developed, but they knew she was a feral of some kind, not a lycanthrope. That had been her father's first fear, that she'd been bitten. When he'd found out she was just a 'fucking mutant' he'd thrown her out on the street.

Her mother had fought with him over it, was still fighting when she left, but she didn't want him to hurt her mom, so she'd run. It had been raining that day too. The last thing she'd heard was her mother screaming at her father – and the slam of the door. She'd run down the wet streets in nothing but her shirt and jeans. She hadn't even been wearing shoes.

She'd lived on the streets for a couple weeks, and then found a group of mutants willing to take her in. They'd talked about Magneto – and the Brotherhood, and how you were fed, and clothed, and taken care of with them. They were all looking for him, for them, and she'd tagged along. She'd stayed quiet, in the back and out of the way. She was only fifteen, and a flat, tomboyish fifteen at that. Her father always told her she looked like a boy, that she'd never look like a real woman. Her red gold hair had been kept short at home, but out here, she didn't have the time, and it was always falling in her face.

When she could look in a mirror, she watched the changes her mutation gave her, her chocolate brown eyes fading to complete black, with no whites, the fangs aching in her jaw, trying to burst out, her face thinning out, taking on an almost rugged, feline cast. She expected whiskers to pop out at any time, but they didn't. Her taste buds on her tongue enlarged, and became rougher to the touch. Her skin was more sensitive, and the fine hair on her arms became thicker. One of the other girls, who tried to help her with her hair, said it was growing down her back, in a sharp V. She remembered the first time her claws had slipped from her nail beds, under her normal fingernails; she'd been fighting off one of the guys, and slashed him up pretty good. After that most of the guys in the group left her alone.

There were times when she hated what she was becoming, and times it was the most fascinating thing to watch, and somehow she knew, she wasn't even close to the final outcome, it felt like there was something sleeping inside her, and she dreaded and prayed for it's awakening.

The water was dripping off the thick pine needles overhead, right onto her bedroll. She was wet and miserable, and hungry, so hungry, but she didn't dare go into the main camp for food. THEY were there. When her group had found the Brotherhood, they'd been welcomed, given places in the camp, food to eat, clothes to wear, called Brother and Sister. That had lasted a couple weeks, and then another group came in – this time from New York. They were rougher, mean, and thought they could control everything.

When the leadership was around, they played meek, did what they were told, the rest of the time, they were HELL! Three girls had been raped so far, and no one wanted to report any of it, because those guys – and their mutations, were scary. She honestly doubted that Magneto or Mystique or even Sabretooth would allow it, but no one dared speak up. She and a few other girls had taken to hiding in the woods, and only going into camp when one of the main commanders was in camp. At first they'd left her alone, because she looked so boyish, but that had changed as she started to fill out – finally.

She looked down at her changing body – her daddy would be proud, she was finally starting to look like a girl. Her hair hung down her back, her chest was rounding out, almost too much, and her pants were tight on her hips, she needed to go to supply and get another pair, but with the head honcho's gone, she wasn't about to go into that camp. It was like a war zone in there, when they were gone.

One of the girls had gone in, yesterday, to try to sneak them out some food – but she hadn't made it back yet, and they were getting worried. If you had a strong mutation, something to fight back with, you had a chance, but Jane's was just simple invisibility, great for sneaking, but not if you got caught.

'Hey duckies – come out of the rain." They heard a familiar, and dreaded voice. He called himself Predator, and was the worst of the New York bunch. "We have food, clothes; all you have to do is come back to camp. We'll take GOOD care of you." She trembled, she'd seen his idea of taking care of – the girl had been in the medical tent for a week, and she was like a zombie in camp, passed around between them like the only handkerchief at a funeral.

She groaned. Something had to be done to stop them, anything would be better than ending up in their hands, anything. She'd been considering something, but it was almost as frightening as being caught by THEM!

She'd been in camp, last time Sabretooth was back. They'd left them alone, he scared even them. She'd ducked into the kitchen tent, and managed to get a decent meal. She'd been sitting in the back, near an exit she could duck out, when he'd walked in. They were all huddled together, the younger girls, trying to manage to get enough food in their bellies to last a few days. He'd just glared at them, raking over them with his eyes. She hadn't ducked quickly enough, and he'd locked eyes with her. She felt rather than heard his growl, and she felt a tightening deep in her gut. She'd ducked her head, to look at her plate, and he'd looked away, before leaving the tent. That had been almost a month ago.

His eyes were as black as hers – and a part of her wondered if they shared a common mutation, but she didn't dare ask him, didn't dare approach him with something like that. The last kid that tried to ask him something ended up slashed from shoulder to groin with four matching ragged slashes, and a reminder that he liked to be left alone.

She heard them go back to camp, laughing, but she didn't trust it. She stayed up in the branches of the tree; she hadn't set foot on the ground since that last day in camp. Her roll, her camp supplies, everything they'd look for were on the ground, they'd found them a couple times, but Predator couldn't get a scent. She stayed high, and stuck to water for traveling when she had to be on the ground. Someday he'd think to look in the trees, but she'd gotten good at jumping between them, and doubted they'd be able to catch her. It also gave her a vantage point to watch the camp – see when it was safe to go in.

Magneto had been gone for almost two weeks, Toad even longer. Mystique was in and out, so they couldn't count on her presence being much of a deterrent for long. Honestly it was Creed she watched for, Creed that meant safety. She wanted more security than this – had even considered running away again, but the road – the streets weren't much better. She heard a cry and watched as Predator found one of the girls – Shana, damn.

She watched him drag her into camp, into the tent they all shared, and then put her hands over her ears to muffle the screams. The others quickly gathered under her tree.

"They got Shana, Risa." Kate said.

"I KNOW!" She hissed down at them.

"It'll be safe a while, we might try for food again." They were becoming decidedly more pragmatic about the whole thing.

"NO! They always leave a watch, it isn't safe. Jane was our best bet, and I haven't seen any sign of her."

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, I'm thinking." Risa said. "Now get back into hiding. I don't want them to know where I am. We need to be able to watch them."

The others just nodded, and slipped into the underbrush with a silence born of necessity. She was watching for safety – for a golden giant that meant they could eat for a day or two.

XXXXXXXXXX

He knew there were problems in camp, that last group from New York acted like they owned everything. He'd asked Mags to let him take them down a peg or two, but Erik had other things on his mind, the big picture and all of that. Some of the 'army' were just kids, and he'd scented some things he didn't like – not one bit.

Mystique laughed at him, said it was survival of the fittest, the weak would be swallowed up by the strong, and in most cases he'd agree, but THEY were responsible for these kids. He knew they'd probably end up dying in some fight somewhere, most of them, but you just didn't let your troops prey on each other, it was bad for morale, and there were definite predators out there, preying on the weak.

He'd seen them – the ones that had banded together to protect each other, half starved because they were living away from camp, away from danger. One had caught his attention. She couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen at the most, flat chested, skinny kid, but her eyes – they were pitch black, and determined, so determined. She was scared – deep scared, the fear that just fills every pore of your body until that was all you smelled like. They all smelled like that, but there was something else in her – a strength, a determination to keep them safe, she wasn't a follower, she was a leader, she was in charge of that little band of half starved girls, and he hadn't liked it one bit. He'd bitten back the growl, but it had still vibrated through is body as she looked back to her plate; he'd almost seen a plea in her eyes – more of a demand than a plea really.

He didn't know what she wanted from him, that scrawny kid, but those kids didn't need to be out there on their own.

He leaned back in his truck. He was finished with this job, and he didn't plan on taking any more for a while. Mags was in planning stages on something big, and he needed to stick around. Maybe HE'D take responsibility for getting the camp in order. It needed it. It was a two day trip with a stop, eighteen hours if he didn't. He sensed danger, he wasn't going to stop.

XXXXXXXXX

"Risa…" She heard the voice.

"Jane?"

"Yeah – I managed some food, took me longer than I thought, they caught Shana."

"I know."

"I'll leave you some; take the rest to the others."

"Do that, and thanks." She said. She listened to the slight footsteps through the underbrush. She knew the girl was invisible, which was a good thing. Even better that she could make whatever she touched invisible too. She glanced over to her 'camp" and saw a small bundle appear on her bedroll. She'd get it later. There were other girls who needed it more. She remembered enough from her grandfather that she'd been able to scrounge some food, even in this winter forest. The others just didn't know anything about living off the land.

She waited, glancing at the watch on her hand. It had been fifteen hours since Shana was caught. She'd seen Predator and the others come out of their tent looking smug and satisfied, and she was waiting for any sign of Shana. She wasn't going to come down until she knew she was at least still alive. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her last handful of pine nuts. It had taken a while to find enough cones with them still inside…but they'd kept her alive this long.

She'd come to a decision. She didn't know if it would work, but someone had to do it, to try to get things under control in the camp. It was dangerous – too dangerous, there were fewer people coming, and somehow she knew that wasn't a good thing. More people were leaving too, scared for themselves, or tired of how things were run, she didn't know which. She was going to him, next time he was in camp. She didn't know if he'd listen, didn't know if he'd help, but frankly she'd rather be ripped to shreds by Sabretooth than caught by Predator and his gang.

She dozed off in the tree, sleeping lightly; any and every sound starting her awake. She longed for a bed – a hot meal – a shower – clean clothes – and not to be HERE anymore. She heard something moving in the underbrush. Soft voices, male voices – and Predator; damn, they were out hunting again, NOT a good sign for Shana. Usually when they caught a girl, they took their time enjoying her, passing her around. That they were out again meant she was either dead – or in the medical tent where they couldn't reach her.

"Fuck." Predator hissed. She saw him next to her bedroll. "Risa's smart, too smart."

"We'll get her." Granite said.

"Damn straight – I want that bitch to beg for it." Predator said, and kicked the bundle on her bed. She had a sudden insight, and knew this wasn't a hunting expedition, it was a gathering expedition. They'd gotten tired of the game. The food was drugged. The other girls – they were sitting ducks. The boys were too close; she didn't dare move, until they did.

"MARISSA! I know you are around here somewhere. Come out!" He shouted, hoping to flush her. "Jane said you are in the trees – watching us. Smart girl – Janie…knows where her bread is buttered. You and the others – come out, or we are going to find you – and you won't like what happens when we find you."

She knew they couldn't see her, and Jane hadn't told them which tree she was usually in.

"Let's just get the others, she'll come in when there's no one else out here to run to." Granite said. "Besides – the invisikid said there were like ten of them out here – that's a lot of pussy to punish."

The others chuckled, and she felt a sinking in her gut. She had to do something, but she just didn't know what.

"Fine we'll get the others – and then I'm going hunting. She likes to hang in the trees like a monkey – I'll hunt her like a fucking monkey." She shivered.

She glanced back toward the camp and saw something that made her heart race. Creed was back – he was in camp. She knew something they didn't and suddenly she decided to take the chance. She tensed her legs and silently pulled her body into a crouch. She waited until they were tromping through the underbrush and sprang for another nearby tree. She kept to the treetops until she was near the camp and then jumped to the ground at a dead run. She could hear noise behind her and knew they had stopped their "gathering" to chase her down. Predator must have heard her moving through the trees.

She didn't stop. She past the perimeter guards at a run, and headed straight for Creed's camp. She could hear them gaining on her, and she had to get to him first.

"PLEASE!" She panted as she skidded to a stop in front of his tent. He was dropping his bag.

"What?"

"She's a discipline problem, Mr. Creed." Predator said behind her. His breathing was ragged from the chase.

"NO I'm NOT!"

'I'll deal with it." He snarled at the boys and they all slipped into the gathering crowd. She glanced over her shoulder, and saw the look Predator gave her. She KNEW she wouldn't survive what he had planned.

"Now – you want to explain all that?" Creed snarled at her, his claws slipping out of his fingertips.

"I'll do whatever you want, just don't let them get me – or the others."

"What others?"

"There's about ten of us, we hide in the woods…"

"I KNOW THAT! That's why I'm here, to clean up things around here." He snarled.

"PLEASE! We just want to be safe, to be able to be a part of the Brotherhood, but not…"

"Not what?" Just then the clean up detail passed carrying several large bags, one of them ripped open, and a hand slipped through the opening…Shana's hand, Risa recognized the ring.

"Not THAT!" She said.

He glared at her and walked over to the detail. She watched him sniff the hand, the bag, and she felt the snarling growl that everyone knew meant he was PISSED off.

"When'd they get her?" He snapped over his shoulder. Risa looked at her watch.

"Yesterday afternoon, about sixteen hours ago, and honestly, Mr. Creed…"

"Sabretooth or nothin' KID!" HE roared at her and she cringed.

"Sabretooth – she's the lucky one." He really glared at her then.

"How long?"

"Since they got here – about three months." She said.

He nodded, and took three giant strides and grabbed her by the arm.

"Take me to the others."

She didn't try to shake him off, just led him out of the camp and into the woods. The boys had found three of the girls, and had them tied up for transport. The others were in their hiding places – all unconscious.

"They drugged the food." She said simply.

"I can smell that." He grabbed her arm again, after sniffing the last girl, and dragged her back to camp. He almost threw her into his tent. "STAY HERE!"

She wasn't going to argue with him. She heard people moving in the camp, loud voices, and then groups moving out into the woods. She did what she was told, she didn't move.

"You listen – good. That's a good start." He said as he ducked under the edge of the tent flap. "Your friends are in the medical tent – what they put in the food just MIGHT kill all of them. Did you eat any of it?"

"No. I was going to – but something told me not to trust Jane."

"Jane?"

"The girl that goes invisible."

"She wasn't with the others?"

"No – I don't know where she went."

"Sit down, kid." She looked around but there was only one chair and he was settling into it, so she dropped to the floor.

"You heal yet?"

"What?"

"Your mutation – has your healing factor kicked in."

"Not yet."

"Damn." He muttered.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to know, now shut up unless I ask you something got it. I need ta think."

She sat there, waiting on him to bark another question at her, but he didn't. He leaned his head on his massive fist and stared out the tent flap, seemingly ignoring her completely.

XXXXXXXX

He'd been right. There were problems in the camp – bigger problems than even he'd realized. One girl was dead – raped by at least four he scented maybe more, she'd bled out from the internal injuries. He'd ordered the disposal team to give her a decent burial. He had six teen age boys terrorizing the camp – at least ten girls terrified of dying or a fate worse than death, and one pubescent feral sitting in his tent offering to do 'anything' he wanted, in exchange for safety.

The really sad part – he was considering her offer. He didn't like little girls – they usually didn't do a thing for him, but this one was different. There was a backbone, something he didn't usually see in something so young. He'd been like that at her age – ready to break out, take on the world, and fight for freedom, safety, and security from abuse. He'd killed his father – she'd turned to him.

The fact that she was filling out – starting to show the promise of becoming a woman that wasn't helping him; he tried – at least in the camps, with Magneto's kids, to keep his hands to himself, his women usually ended up like the one in the bag, and he knew it. Did she even KNOW what she was offering him? He wouldn't look at her, looking at her was distracting and he needed to think this through. Several things had been happening lately. The whole "citizenship" law, making the undead legal citizens, the laws that were passed to protect lycanthropes, saying they couldn't be discriminated against because they had caught a disease, but Mutants – they were still trying to register and control mutants. They whole registration act had been brought up again.

Used to be, they all were outcasts together, but now – Vampires were running businesses, openly, even setting themselves up territories within the US and Canada, becoming law abiding citizens, were protected under the law, unless they broke it. That part he understood – kill them, they were dead already, and so killing was the only punishment that worked on them. You couldn't contain them, couldn't rehabilitate them – so killing them was the only answer.

Lycanthropes, those were different, closer to what he was, to his mutation with the senses, the healing, the natural need to hunt – hunt and kill. He'd even had a few friends who were lycs, hunting buddies or business associates, depending on your point of view.

"How old?"

"What?"

"The girl in the bag, how old was she?"

"Shana." He hadn't wanted to know her name. "She was thirteen."

FUCK! They were just KIDS. He was going to have a talk with that 'Predator' show him what a REAL predator was like. He glanced over at her.

"Whatever I want?" He said. She jumped.

"What?"

"That's what you said. You'd do whatever I want." He could smell her fear, and determination. She'd back it up, damn.

"Yes."

"You need to learn how to negotiate. All or nothing deals - you could end up my slave." He said with a grin. That idea had merit.

"No offense Mr…Sabretooth, but frankly you are the better choice."

"How old are you, Kid?"

"Fifteen." She was older than he'd thought but not by much.

"When did you start?"

"The mutation?" He nodded. "I was eleven when my jaw started hurting, my mom took me to a dentist, and they saw the fangs trying to push through on the X-ray. She took me to specialists, then the claws started and my eyes changed – and my dad got pissed about having a mutant daughter so they kicked me out six months ago."

"And you don't heal?"

"I do, just not the little stuff. Life threatening stuff heals quick, but cuts and scratches and bruises still take time." He nodded again.

"Go get you something to eat, clean up, and get a change of clothes, you stink." He snarled. "Get a fresh bedroll too; you will be bunkin' in here with me. You can put your stuff over there." He pointed to the far wall of the main room of the tent.

"What about the others."

"I thought the deal was just you." He sneered.

He watched her, the conflict racing across her face. She wanted safety, security, but she didn't want it at the cost of the others.

"The others will be under my protection. They already are. ANYONE touches them, they answer to me." He growled the last. She just nodded.

"Don't you want to know the terms?"

She looked him straight in the eye, something else he gave her points for, even stinking of fear, she had guts. "Your terms have to be better than theirs." It was simple, and so untrue. He moved so fast, her knees hadn't even uncurled from the kneeling position as he lifted her by her throat.

"Don't bet on it, girly. You set the terms – whatever I want. Those BOYS are dangerous because they work together. I'm dangerous because I work ALONE. Now I KNOW you ain't ready to handle a man like me – and I'll make allowances for that, but you belong to me now, kitten, you belong to ME!" Her feet dangled two feet off the floor as he held her at his eye level. She didn't flinch, even when he reached out to cup her developing breast through the ratty T-shirt she was wearing.

"Fillin' out nice, Risa…lookin' forward to tryin' ya out." He slowly pulled his arm in bringing her against his chest. She looked him in the eye, still. She wasn't defiant, but she wasn't complaisant either. She had plenty of fight – and knew when to pick them, and this wasn't the time.

"Now go get cleaned up – and I expect you back here, you take off, I'm comin' after ya." He let her go, and she had two choices, cling to him, or drop on her ass. She chose the first, landing gracefully on her feet, her hands clinging to his hips to steady herself. She didn't jump to let go, but she didn't linger either, just turned to walk out the tent flap. He watched her hesitate.

"Don't worry – I'll make sure they know you are mine." He said a slight threat in his tone. She either missed the threat – or, and this thought almost frightened him, she trusted him enough to follow his lead. She stepped out of the shadow of the tent and into the watery winter sunlight, he let her get three steps and then came surging out of the tent, and grabbed her arm.

"Forgettin' something, Risa?" He said harshly before grinding his lips against hers. He didn't give her and break; he tasted blood where his fangs pierced her lips when she didn't open her mouth quickly enough. She was inexperienced as hell, but she'd get better…she didn't have much choice. He lifted his mouth from hers. "Now get that shit done." He said pushing her toward the women's showers with a slight pat on her very nice rear. She just nodded and ran for the showers. He noticed a couple of the 'boys' hanging around and glared at them. They slunk off into the crowd around the meal tent. He wanted to make sure the word got out – that Risa belonged to him.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (2/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXX

She ran for the shower, the idea of being clean was almost scary it was so exciting. Her entire body was tingling, he wanted her to get clean, wanted her fed and in clean clothes and with clean bedding. He was going to protect her, that's what that whole thing in front of his tent was about. She didn't want to think about it too closely, it had been her first kiss, and she'd felt lost, she didn't know what to do with her teeth, or her tongue or HIS tongue for that matter. Her lip was sore where he'd bit her, and she'd tasted blood in both their mouths.

She blushed as she ran past the shower tent to the supply tent; she needed clothes to change into before she dared get in the showers. The woman in the tent just glanced at her and handed her sweats and a tank top with a zipper jacket, some cargo pants that looked like they would fit but had seen better days, and a black long sleeved T-shirt. There were no underwear – but there hadn't been anything like that in the supply tent since she'd been here.

"I need sleep gear too, Sabretooth's orders." It felt strange saying that. The woman gave her an appraising look and handed her a bedroll and blanket.

"Not that you'll need them much, he's an animal." The woman said with a knowing leer. "Here, you MIGHT need these." She handed Risa several towels and washcloths, and a sleeve of pills.

"I'm a feral, those don't work." She handed the sleeve back. The woman just glared, then shrugged and handed her three more changes of clothes.

"Well – you'll need those, he's rough on clothes." She blushed and ran out of the opening in the canvas. Did they really think she'd do that, had already done it? Yes she'd said she'd do whatever he wanted – and KNEW that he would probably want it, but she just HOPED he wouldn't. She'd find out later.

She went into the shower unit, there were a couple others inside, but no one spoke. She quickly turned on the water and stripped out of the clothes she'd been wearing for almost a month without change. She scrubbed down under the hottest water she could get from the tap, watching layers of dirt rinse down her skin to the wooden floor of the shower tent. It traveled under the boards in a stream mixing with the drain from all the others until she was clean again. She'd always been so meticulous about her body, about keeping clean. At home she'd bathed twice a day, if she needed it or not. When she'd first come to the camp, no one had cared how often she bathed, there was plenty for all.

She'd quit after THEY came – they'd wait outside the showers, leering at the women as they came out, making crude comments and making everyone uncomfortable. They left the older women alone – either they were in pairs with another mutant, or they didn't take any guff off the younger boys. THEY preyed on the younger girls, and no one seemed to care.

She didn't understand it, why would they let them have free reign like that. Why didn't the older mutants do something about them? She'd seen Mystique around them a few times, and she had a sinking feeling that the shape shifter knew at least part of what was going on in camp. She let that thought drift away, she might have the courage to ask him about it later, why nothing had been done?

The water flowed down her back; she scrubbed her hair and body again, wondering if she'd ever feel clean again. She heard the other women leave and she was alone in the tent.

"Risa?"

"JANE!" She hissed, ready to kill the little traitor.

"Don't please, just listen. They caught me, I was in that tent, tied down with Shana – I was there, I watched her die. Please believe me, I didn't want to do it – but they made me, told me I'd be next, and then HE – he made me clean her blood off of him with my mouth."

"Jane – oh God, get out of here, Creed's on the warpath, and you are in his way." She said.

"You TOLD HIM it was me – that I'd done it, OH GOD I'm DEAD! HE'S WORSE than they are." She could hear the panic in the invisible girl's voice.

"He's promised to protect me – protect us. I don't know if he'd listen to you right now, he might, he seems like he's going to help, or at least try."

"At what price, what did you DO? What did you promise him?" Jane asked.

"That I'd do whatever he wanted." She said it softly.

"You'll be like Shana." Jane said softly. "I'm leaving, I can't stay. I am NOT going to watch you die too." She said. Risa heard her soft steps as she left the tent. Risa grabbed one of the towels and dried off. She slipped on a pair of pants that actually fit her, and pulled the long sleeved black tee over her head. It felt good to have her body warm for a change. The winter had been mild so far, but sleeping in a tree wrapped in a thermal blanket you still never got warm. She slipped her feet into the boots she'd been given. They were a couple sizes too big, but she'd make do.

She picked up the pile of clothing and linens from supply and tried to decide if she was going back to the tent – or to the kitchen first. She ducked out and hurried to his camp site. He wasn't in the tent, so she dropped her new things where he told her to put her stuff, and turned to head for the kitchen.

He was standing in the opening of the tent.

"You eat yet?"

"No, I just wanted to drop this stuff of first, going there now." She said softly. She was calm, he did that to her, eased her fears. She didn't know if he knew it. He just stepped aside and let her walk toward the opening. His hand moved so fast she didn't even see it. He gripped the top of her arm in a vice like grip.

"Forgetting something, Risa?" He said again. She just looked at him in confusion.

"You don't come into my tent – or leave my tent without a proper hello or goodbye." He snarled, before his mouth came crashing down on hers again. She heard snickers from the crowd outside, but all she could concentrate on was trying not to pull away. He wanted this – and she told him she'd do whatever he wanted.

"Later – you get lessons in how to kiss properly – now go get something to eat." He snarled and ducked under the flap and she bowed her head before running to the kitchen tent. She grabbed one of the brown plastic packages from the pile by the door and a canteen of water. It was between meals, so she'd get something hot later, but for now, even the old Army MRE's were better than a handful of pine nuts a day.

She looked around the almost empty tent, and sat down near the end of one of the tables. She poured water into the heating element and dropped the meal pouch inside to warm. She ripped open the rest of the pouches and dug in. She didn't wait for the meal pouch to get completely hot – she was just too hungry. She ripped it open too, and was in the process of trying to get all the little bits of gravy and meat out of the pouch when Callisto sat down across from her.

"You sure have guts, girl." She said.

"What do you mean?"

"Creed, I never would have seen that coming. Those boys are bad – but they are just boys, he's – a law unto himself. What those boys did to Shana is NOTHING compared to what Creed's done in the past. I hope you weren't planning on avoiding getting yourself used hard, because Creed's famous for leaving women torn and bleeding when he's done – and those are the willing ones." The scarred and tattooed girl said. "What's your deal with him anyway, did you leave yourself an out."

"I said I'd do whatever he wanted, if he'd protect me and the others." She said, glaring at the former Morlock.

"Looking forward to watching him bury you, then." She stood up and walked away. "Too bad, you have real potential too."

THEY'd left the Morlocks alone, not wanting to cross them. Callisto watched but didn't interfere with them – Risa had heard her say something about them, that they were culling the herd or something to that effect. She hated some of the older members for letting those boys get by with this shit.

She finished up her meal, and considered grabbing another MRE bag, but she knew he was waiting. She didn't have any illusions about what he was waiting for either, and if she ended up like Shana – she didn't want to finish that thought. She trusted him, trusted him to take care of her, no matter what anyone said.

XXXXXXXX

He followed her to the showers. He'd scented something or someone following her, and he wanted to make sure she was safe. He listened, and when the little invisikid came out he nabbed her.

"Say a word, kid, and you'll be keeping little Shana company." He snarled in her ear as she became visible in his hands. She was better developed than Risa, but she wasn't anything to write home about. She didn't need the invisibility mutation; she'd just blend into a crowd and be invisible anyway.

"Please, Mr. Creed, don't kill me."

"Jane, right? You're the one that betrayed them." He snarled right into her face.

"I did it to save my own skin – just like she came to you, to save hers." Jane said.

"No, she came to me to save ALL of you – and she did. You are all under my protection, like it or not." He hissed.

"Are you going to hurt us – like they did Shana?" She reeked of fear, and he almost let her think it, for what she'd done.

"No, it's Risa's deal – the only one paying a price for my protection is her." Jane blanched. He smelled guilt and fear on her, good. Maybe if she felt guilty enough she'd do what he wanted.

"Please – don't hurt her."

"I ain't plannin' on it." He muttered. "She's got guts, and a backbone, and she's smart enough to LEARN from her mistakes – are you?"

She nodded.

"Good. You are going to lay low, stay out of camp and away from anyone. Stay invisible most of the time – it won't stop ME from finding you, but it will stop most of the others. WHEN I call you – you come running. I'm gonna need you to tell Mags what you saw so he'll give me the authority to get some control back around here. I ain't riskin him getting pissed off and cutting my money for doing something behind his back."

She nodded again, and he smelled relief. She wanted to help, to do the right thing. To him it was strange, but he was going to do it. You just didn't treat your troops like this, it stank of dishonor.

"When you are done talking to Mags – do you have any place you can go, you are too young to be out here?"

"No." He just growled.

"Then just lay low – I'll make arrangements, you don't need to be here, in this camp, it ain't safe for you, too many people know what you did." Jane just nodded and he handed her the bundle of gear he'd put together for her.

"You do what I tell you – and you'll make it." He said.

She nodded and then faded from sight. He could hear her slipping into the woods. The coat, food and extra blankets would keep her alive until Mags got back.

After his run in with Risa at the tent he went looking for his prey – a Predator.

"Boy." He snarled when he found the group of teens.

"I ain't no boy, OLD MAN!" The punk snapped.

"Getting' lippy ain't wise, kid. You stay away from Risa, all of ya, the other girls too, they are mine, got it." He could see the boys weren't happy about him cutting into their fun.

"You got no say – if they want to be with us." Predator said.

"The ones you have – the ones you've broken, I ain't messin with – but Mags and Myst just might. Neither one of them are gonna be happy with what you've been doin." He said.

Predator laughed at the mention of Mystique. "They need us – you need us, Old Man." Predator snarled. He wasn't even a class two feral. He was barely higher than _homo sapiens_, and his hunting skills left a lot to be desired. "We keep order, the girls – they just need to learn the order of things."

"If it had been me – hunting those girls, they wouldn't have been out there day, much less almost two months. You need training boy." He snarled.

"Fuck you, Old Man." Predator growled, his gang backing him up. Victor just grinned.

"Someday, BOY, it'll be just you and me. Your friends will be dead, by my claws, and I will enjoy every second of skinning you alive."

"Then why don't you do it."

"Because – Mags is in charge, he pays the bills, and until he either gives me clearance to do it, or cuts me loose, I'm takin orders from him, just like you. You just better pray he doesn't cut me loose." He said, before turning around. The scent of fear from the group behind him made him chuckle. They weren't stupid, those boys. They knew real danger when they saw it.

He caught sight of Risa ducking into his tent and grinned. He still had a long day and night ahead of him.

XXXXXXXXX

He wasn't in the tent when she got back, which was somewhat of a relief. She spread her new bedroll out and looked around for something to put the clothes and other things in. She heard the flap pulled back and felt him walk in. She turned and gasped at the look on his face. She didn't know exactly why he was looking at her like that, but she felt like the turkey on Thanksgiving, ready to be eaten up.

She hurried to her feet and brushed her hands on her pants before walking to him for his 'proper greeting.'

"Not now." He muttered. He signaled her to turn around. He reached down and touched a worn spot on the pocket of her pants, and the patch on the elbow of her shirt.

"That won't do. Come on."

"What?"

"Are you questioning me?"

"No, just surprised."

"Good, come on." He headed out of the camp. It was still early morning, and she didn't know where they were going. They hiked a couple miles until he glanced around, and she noticed a camouflaged cover, just as he yanked it back, revealing an old beat up pickup truck.

"Get in." He muttered. She jumped in the passenger side. She hadn't been inside a vehicle in months.

"Seat belt." He growled, and she clicked it into place. He pulled out onto a track, not even a dirt road, just a place where the underbrush was less dense in the forest, and drove. The truck bounced along. It wasn't long until the engine heated up and he flipped the old heater on. The interior of the cab was quickly warm, and she sighed in relief.

"We're goin' into town. Don't say anything to anyone; you do what I tell ya." He snarled. She just nodded.

He didn't even glance at her for the entire drive. He found a dirt road that lead to a paved road, and turned left. She didn't even know where a human town was from where they were hiding. She started looking for landmarks, just in case she needed to find her way back someday.

He drove until they reached a small town. It had one of those large discount stores, and he pulled into the parking lot.

"You do what I say, Risa." He growled one more time, before turning off the engine.

"Of course." She said, and he nodded with a grin.

He got out of the truck and started for the store; she jumped out and followed him. She was puzzled when he walked straight for the women's apparel department. He just glanced at her, and started grabbing things off the rack, mostly tees and jeans, and then headed straight for the intimates department. She blushed and followed him.

"Get a basket, we're gonna need it." He snarled, and she ran to obey.

When she got back he had several more items in his hands, including bras, which made her blush more. She'd never worn one before. He just dumped the pile in the basket and walked over to accessories. He found a large backpack and dropped it in the basket as well.

"Go try this shit on – I need to pick up a few things." He snapped as he took off. She just nodded and went to the fitting rooms. The woman attendant just looked at her, and opened one of the doors. She took a handful of things inside and tried them on. The attendant didn't notice or didn't care about her lack of undergarments, and she slipped things on as quickly as she could. She ended up making two trips back to the basket and moved as quickly as she could but it still took an hour to try everything on and none of it was actually frilly or girly, just good sensible clothing.

She heard him outside and she quickly finished up and hurried out of the dressing room. He sorted through everything, nodded and grabbed the handle of the basket. She noticed a few boxes from another department, and a couple shirts for him added to the pile.

"You NEED shoes that fit – out there." He muttered and dragged her to the shoe department. He insisted she get boots, hiking boots, but ones that would fit. She glanced at running shoes, and he grabbed a pair, in the right size. Nothing slipped past his notice.

"Let's go." He snapped and dragged her to the front of the store, they checked out quickly and he paid in cash for what they had. The boxes were from the electronics and sporting departments and she was curious what he'd bought and why.

He led her to the truck, carrying only his own purchases; he'd left everything he'd bought for her to use for her to carry. She groaned under the weight, but it wasn't that bad.

"Roll everything up tight." He said, handing her a roll of masking tape. "It'll pack easier in the backpack, Anything that don't fit – goes back." She nodded and started packing. She left the underwear in the package, and the rest rolled up in small bundles. She managed to get everything but the hiking boots into the backpack.

"Good job. THAT'S how you pack for a march, now change your shoes, and throw those things in the trash." She nodded. She still hadn't said a word to him; she wouldn't until he told her she could.

"This is for you – its pre paid, and has my cell number programmed in. Use it ONLY in case of an emergency." He handed her a cheap black cell phone. "You will need something other than your claws for utility work, so put these in your pocket."

He handed her a utility tool and lock knife. She glanced at him, and slipped both into her pockets. She glanced at him questioningly but waited for an explanation.

"Most of the rags from supply are on their last legs, wouldn't last long anyway. And most of them aren't winter weight. You need decent clothes to get through the winter. I take care of what's mine, and YOU are MINE. Got it?"

She nodded.

"Good - get in the truck." He snapped.

She jumped to comply and put the packed backpack at her feet. The cell phone went into a front pocket of it, and she shifted until the tool and knife felt comfortable in her pockets.

XXXXXXX

He glanced over at her in the seat next to him. She'd done well. She'd obeyed orders, without appearing too submissive or drawing attention. He had a few more things in his bag; one purchase in particular was going to be very necessary.

He knew she was dying to ask him questions, but he wasn't in the mood for teen age chatter. She stayed silent all the way back to where he hid the truck. He unloaded the duffle bag he'd packed all his other purchases into, and slung it onto his back as well, before he signaled her to help him cover the truck back up. She slung the backpack onto her back, and he nodded in approval. She had potential that was for sure.

The hike back was silent; she still hadn't said a word. She didn't know the risk they had just taken, going openly into town like that, but there was no way she was going to freeze to death while under his care. She still hadn't seen the coat he'd bought, but she was going to need it. There had been two reasons for the trip, the first one, simple necessity. The second was a little more subtle – he wanted the camp to KNOW she was his, and her new things would show them all that he was taking care of her.

He'd bought things for the other girls too, things they'd need. He'd made two trips to the truck while she was trying on clothes, and the bag was heavy, but they needed to get back to camp by nightfall. He felt a small surge of pride at her continued obedience.

"When we get back to the tent, go through the stuff you got from supply, anything worn, or frayed take back, someone else can use it. Those boots were no good for anyone." He barked as they neared the camp, more to let the sentries know it was them, than because she needed the instructions. "I have some things I'm taking to the others in the medical tent, get your shit put together I don't like messes in my tent."

"Sure thing." She said softly.

"Speak up – the sentries can't hear you." He snapped.

"Sure thing, Mr…Sabretooth." She said, louder.

He nodded and she followed him through the camp back to his tent. He dropped his bag on his bunk. He had a special camp bed, long and wide enough to accommodate him, and it was useful for other things too, like sorting his purchases. She started sorting the things she'd gotten from supply and he threw two more of his purchases at her; a sleeping mat and thermal sleeping bag.

"You ain't freezin' to death on my watch." He grumbled and pulled out the coat and threw it at her too. "You'll need that later, as winter really sets in."

"Thank you." It was a whisper, but he heard it.

"Don't thank me; you'll pay for it – later." He snapped and picked up the things for the girls in the medical tent. He glared at her, and watched as realization crept across her face. She jumped up and crossed to him. He leaned down, and kissed her, gently this time. He didn't want to spook the little cat; he had definite plans for later.

"Get settled, Risa, I'll be back." He said. He smelled her surge of – something, not exactly fear, but certainly not anything like arousal, more like curiosity, and grinned, before ducking under the canvas and striding for the medical tent.

XXXXXXXX

She watched him walk out of the tent confused. That hadn't been like anything he'd done before, it actually felt nice, and nice wasn't a word she associated with him. He'd bought her things because she needed them, and he took care of what was his. She got that, but that kiss, that wasn't anything like what she'd come to expect. She glanced over at the pile of things left on his bed, wondering if he wanted her to put them away, and blushed as she noticed the package of condoms. She felt a surge of fear, real fear this time. He did plan on THAT! She felt a shiver run down her back, and quickly turned back to the job he'd assigned her to do. She unrolled the sleeping mat and piled her blankets and sleeping bag from supply on top for more padding. The better insulated she was from the ground the better when the hard freezes hit.

The new sleeping bag went on top, it even had a camp pillow with it, so her head wasn't on the ground. She frowned. He'd been more generous than anyone she'd ever known, but she also knew there was going to be a price for it. She changed out of the clothes from supply, slipping on a pair of underwear for the first time in months. She even figured out how to put on one of the bras he'd bought, and heaved a sigh of relief when the nagging ache in her back eased a bit with the support. She pulled on one of the new shirts and a new pair of jeans. She had a stack of things to take back to supply – two pair of pants and the sweat jacket that had a broken zipper. The rest she rolled up tight and slipped into her backpack.

She glanced at the bag the sleeping bag had come in, and decided it would make a good laundry bag, if they had to move, she'd pack the dirty stuff at the bottom of her backpack, and put the sleeping bag back in it, but while they were fairly stable, she'd make use. The clothes from earlier went in – along with a few things of his she found laying around the tent that looked like they might need washed. Shower stalls did double duty, if you were smart, laundry and bodies got clean in the same water, next time she showered; she'd take care of it.

Her gear was stowed at the end of her sleeping pallet. She'd planned on rolling her clothes up for a pillow – but his 'gift' took care of that issue. She glanced back at his bed, and felt the blood rush to her face. She had no idea what he had planned for her, but she wasn't backing down now. She'd made a promise, and one thing her momma had always taught her, you are only as good as your word. She glanced at the two long packages that he hadn't unpacked yet. They looked like camp chairs, but he hadn't given her any instructions on those so she left them alone. He'd told her to take care of her stuff, and her area of the tent was clean and neat and organized and she hoped it would please him.

XXXXXXXX

He dropped off the things he'd picked up for the girls. Sweatpants and shirts, underwear, socks, things they'd need, and that others in the camp didn't have, or had to make due with. It was enough for people to know they were taken care of, and protected. He left them with the mutant in charge.

"They all are going to make full recoveries, it was touch and go for a while with the two smallest girls, the dose of the drugs was almost at overdose levels for them." He said when Victor dropped the packages on his 'desk."

"Just make sure they get this stuff, and keep me posted, Doc." His mutation was healing – of others, not himself, and it made him a good doctor. The draw back was, he healed by taking the injuries into his own body, so he only used it when it really was necessary. From the smell of him, he'd had to use it on at least one of the girls. Those boys were going to pay for this – as soon as Mags made it back to camp.

He stared across the campsite, he could see his tent, and felt the tingle of anticipation gathering along his skin. He was looking forward to 'instructing' his little kitten in a few of the more mature arts.

He was halfway across the camp when he heard the chopper. That was sooner than expected. He snarled, and almost ripped the canvas flap off the tent as he ducked under.

She jumped up, and he glanced over at her spot in the tent. She'd obeyed, very well. She'd sorted everything, but hadn't left the tent. He nodded and pointed to the bag at the end of her bed.

"Laundry." She answered simply and he smiled. She wasn't stupid, and planned ahead. Give the girl a couple years – she'd be a force to be reckoned with. He wondered how well she could use her abilities, but decided that was a question for another day.

"Mags is back. I'm going to go let him know what's been going on. I don't know how late I'll be." He said, holding up his hand to stop her 'greeting.' She just nodded; afraid to look at him or the bunk. She heard his chuckle, and he tucked one finger under her chin and forced her to look at him.

"I have some instructions, before I go. I don't know if I'll be back before you bunk down for the night, so one, I bought sleep gear – wear it, it gets cold at night, the warmer you are the better; two you sleep facing the wall, I want your back to me; three, any noises you hear, ignore them, if I talk or make noise in my sleep, be STILL, don't move. I don't always recognize a person when I wake up, it takes me a minute." She blushed, somewhat relieved that he didn't expect her to sleep with him, his next words made the blood drain from her face. "When I'm done with you, you sleep there, but don't think you are getting out of our little bargain."

He leaned down and kissed her again – like the first time, hard, she didn't know what to do, what he wanted so she just tried to let him do it. He growled a little. "First lesson – that ain't a kiss." She looked up at him in confusion. He reached down and grabbed one of her hands, and put it on his chest.

"I like to be touched when I'm kissin' a woman." He said softly, brushing his lips across hers again. She felt him trace her lips with his tongue and from earlier, knew he wanted her to open her mouth for him. She was still confused by all of this, but she just let him take control. "Taste me back." He moaned against her lips, she didn't quite know what he wanted, but when he slipped his tongue back into her mouth she met it with hers. He showed her with his tongue what he wanted her to do. She didn't understand what this was doing to her, the ache in her gut that just kept building, the longer they stood there. She felt his arm around her, crushing her against his chest, his other hand reaching up to cup her breast. She breathed a moan into his mouth. She didn't know what he was doing, or why it felt good, but it did.

"Better." He whispered as he lifted his face from hers. "Plan on me wakin' ya up later, but try ta get some sleep. You're gonna need it."

He let her go, just like that, and stormed out of the tent. She stumbled back, and he stuck his head back in.

"Unpack the chairs, no need to sit on the ground, kitten." He said, and then he was gone.

He'd called her a woman, she knew he wanted sex, but she didn't understand all this other stuff. Her parents hadn't ever done anything like this that she knew of. Her father was a strictly religious man; he'd only ever touched her mother once in front of her – the day he threw Risa out into the streets. Her mother had been fighting, trying to get him to let her stay, and he'd backhanded her across the porch of their house.

She'd gone to an all girls private school, before her mutation became obvious, and then was home schooled until she was thrown out, and she'd never seen anyone kiss until she was on the road. Her father had limited her exposure to television and music and movies, censoring anything that came into the house. Her books were read before she was allowed to read them, she'd only been allowed religious and gospel music, and only movies that her parents had seen and approved of before she could watch them.

This entire world was strange to her, and his actions were the strangest of all. She knew he wanted sex, and what that entailed, thanks to her grandparents on her mother's side. It had been that grandfather that taught her how to live off the land and she got what little exposure she had to the world through them. Her grandmother had sat her down last year for 'the talk;' but that had been more biology and what NOT to do, rather than what she was supposed to do.

She glanced over at the pile of bedding, and then unpacked the chairs and set them up. She didn't know where he wanted them so she put one next to his bed, and one near where she would sleep. They took up quite a bit of space in the center of the tent, with the old ratty one he'd had, and these were the smaller ones without arms. She slipped out of the new clothes and into the knit pants and top he'd bought her to sleep in. She didn't want to take the bra off, her back was feeling better than it had in a month, but she did.

It was getting darker by the second, as twilight faded, and she curled up in the sleeping bag, her back to the bed on the other side of the tent and tried to go to sleep.

XXXXXX

He found Jane quickly and didn't give her a chance to argue, just grabbed her arm, invisible or not and dragged her with him to the opening of the bunker.

He stormed into the bunker. Magneto was just dropping his bag next to his bed. He glared at Victor.

"What is it that can't wait?"

"Trouble in the camp, I want your permission to deal with it my way."

"Victor, they have to learn to get along, there will be fights, and discipline will be maintained in the easiest manner possible."

"Well, it's not, at least one girl is dead, ten more were nearly killed by having their food drugged, there's a gang of boys that act like they run the place, and no one will do anything to stop them – because YOU won't give anyone the authority to do it."

"It's survival of the fittest, who was the girl." Magneto somehow managed to keep a mental rolodex of every mutant they had – and their mutations. Victor felt a familiar presence behind him and knew Mystique was back as well.

"Shana – the telekinetic." He said.

"WHAT!" It gave Victor just a slight thrill of victory to see him angry. He knew Magneto had had plans for the girl.

"That's right, raped and killed in front of another girl, this one." He shoved Jane to the floor in front of Erik."

"Is that true?" He barely glanced at the girl.

"Yes." She said. Erik looked at her with that grandfatherly look, before the cold calculating Magneto came back into his eyes.

"I don't have time for this. The camp is here – it's running, we are gaining more mutants daily."

"No, they are leaving, and fewer arriving. I want to discipline these boys, let the rest know it won't be allowed.

"What about that cute thing I saw bedding down in your tent?" Mystique said with a sneer, running her hand down his arm as she passed him. He just glared, her touch didn't even faze him anymore.

"That's none of your business."

"It sounds like it SHOULD be my business." Mystique said. "I gave those boys authority to maintain discipline among the younger groups.

"She and I have a deal, she does what I want – for protection from those punks of yours that killed Shana – for her and the other under aged girls that are their targets."

"What you want – I know how that can go, and she's way too young for you, 'Tooth." Mystique said, slinking to Magneto's side.

"This is partially your fault, Myst. You are the one that let them think they could do what they wanted. You are the one that keeps saying survival of the fittest, funny I don't see you down there, getting grabbed in the night, raped by five or six boys at a time, until you are broken – or dead."

"That's not what's happening."

"Yes it is." Jane said, quietly. "They have three girls that they've kept alive, but I've seen what they do to them. They pass them around, sometimes three to four guys a night, and that's when they have 'fresh meat' to enjoy. I spent a night tied up in that tent; I've SEEN what they do."

"And what did they do to YOU!" Mystique said with a doubtful sneer.

"Enough." She pulled her shirt off, and even Victor blanched at the signs of abuse on her back and chest, bite marks, bruising, even cuts, and the marks on her wrists from the ropes. They were all fresh, less than a day old. She reached to unfasten her pants, but he stopped her. They'd seen enough.

"Enough for you little miss Survival of the FITTEST!" He roared at Mystique. Even her skin was pale under her normal blue color. "Tell her how old you are Jane."

"Fourteen."

"WHAT! We made it clear, camp rules, that no child under eighteen could be touched." Mystique was furious.

"All of these boys are under eighteen. WE never set ground rules for BOYS under eighteen." He snarled.

"Oh Gods." The whisper told him more than any other comment she could have made. She had known, at least part of it, and allowed it, partially condoned it. "It has to stop."

"Yes – it does." He snarled, piercing Jane with a glare, she'd started to fade, her fear was filling the room, and he didn't want her sneaking out on them. She quickly turned off her mutation and just sat down on the floor between the three of them.

"And that starts with you and your little playmate in your tent." Mystique turned on him, a snarl of her own across her blue face.

"I haven't touched her – yet. I bought her clothes, promised her safety, that's it so far. I've made them think it's more, so they know she's MINE!" He roared the last.

"Sabretooth, I cannot allow it." Magneto said quietly

"You can't stop it. You don't have control down there, THEY do, and unless you let me do things, MY way, you are going to lose them all."

"What do you plan to do?"

"First separate them, move them to different work details, different tents, different schedules. They are dangerous as a group, but most of them will be harmless alone. The leader, leave to me. I promise not to KILL him, but I am going to make a lesson of him, and if you don't trust me, bring Toad in, he can keep me in check." Magneto nodded.

"You surprise me, Victor, you've thought this out."

"No shit, Sherlock." He growled at Magneto.

"And the girl in your tent?"

"She's MINE!" He roared. Even Mystique jumped.

"I cannot allow it."

"You can't stop it. She's a feral, she's like me, and I'm making her mine." He said it with every bit of intensity that he felt, and he watched as both Magneto and Mystique registered just how dangerous he was at that moment. They were NOT taking her away from him, no matter what they tried. He'd take her and go – leave the Brotherhood, and if he did, he was going to kill those little punks before he left.

"You'd leave us, over her." Mystique said, echoing his thoughts.

"In a fuckin' heartbeat; she and I have a DEAL, and she's keeping her end, and I'll keep mine, I might get tired of her, but right now, she's MINE!"

"It can't be do as I say, not as I do; if you are going to apply discipline."

"No shit – the rules have to change. Instead of leaving it open for anyone under eighteen to run amok, it needs to be NO ONE is touched without consent, age doesn't matter, and age of the offender doesn't matter, punishment is punishment, fuck the age thing. These kids made it here - survived who knows what to get here - treat them like adults. If they are old enough to take up arms and fight for our cause, they are old enough to make their own choices – and mistakes, and pay the price."

"They are children." Mystique said a slight longing in her voice. He glared at her.

"Like you are mother of the year."

She glared back. "I agree about one thing, the rapes have to STOP, fighting, position jockeying, those I expected, but nothing like this."

"Then go talk to your little pet, and call him off, Mystique." Victor said.

"He promised to keep order while we were gone, among the younger ones. He seemed sincere, I let him fool me, it won't happen again." He could see the anger in her face, and knew it wasn't directed at him. Predator was in deep – and he knew the kid didn't know how to tread water.

She walked from the room, and he sent Jane after her. He needed a private conversation with Magneto.

"Victor, at least be careful – we are not equipped to deal with a pregnancy right now, especially a feral pregnancy."

"Don't patronize me; I remember having to show you how to use you your first condom." He snarled. Erik glared at him – for the reminder that no matter how old he was, Victor was still older, far older.

"Is this girl that important?"

"Not yet. She's still too young to be anything but a toy. In time, with the right training, and 'education' she could be the one; my mate."

"Just don't hurt her during the education process."

"I ain't plannin' on it." He snarled. He was the second person to say that, and it was getting on his nerves.

He dragged the map of the camp onto the table into the middle of the room and showed Erik where he planned to make changes, both for security and moral of the people living there. Erik just nodded when he was done.

"I will make sure the word goes out, you are in charge of the camp. I had a mission I need you for, but this has to take priority. I'll send Toad instead. I'd pull Pyro in, but in the position he's in right now, I need him there."

"Me and fire boy don't get along, anyway. It'd have to be Toad, he's the only one that can get under my skin when I am in a killing rage, make me pause long enough to consider what I am doing, although, in time, I think my pet kitten just might be able to, as well."

Magneto just nodded, the strange friendship between the two animalistic mutants was something that just had to be accepted, and for the most part tolerated and ignored. Victor knew Mags didn't like it, that Toad could break his berserk, but he and the little guy had a system that worked – and it wasn't Erik's place to question it. It was later than he'd anticipated when he got out of the bunker, the moon was well up, and it was close to one o'clock. He pushed the slight form of Jane in front of him, and back to her camp site.

He reached into his pocket. One of the things he'd told Erik he was going to need was a ready supply of cash. He gave the girl a handful of bills.

"Take it and go – get the hell out of here, go home if you can, if you can't make your way to Westchester, the Geeks will take you in. It's not going to be safe around here for a while, not for you." She just nodded and took the money. "I'll check, and if you aren't gone in the morning, I WILL drag you into the middle of the camp for discipline." He could smell her fear, and knew she'd be gone by morning. The five thousand dollars he'd given her would get her safe, or get her dead on the road, either way she would be out of his hair, and he wouldn't have to lie to his pet when she asked what happened.

He walked back to the tent in the dark, her even breathing reaching him before his eyes made out her form on the pallet in the dark. He considered waking her, but changed his mind. He had time – lots of time, and she needed a good night's sleep. He quietly put away the things left on his bed. She followed instructions almost TOO well. He was going to have to see if he could provoke her temper – he needed to see what she was capable of – but that could wait until tomorrow. He stretched out on the bed, and closed his eyes. He had a busy day planned – for both of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (3/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

A/N Ok this one really took it out of me – twenty six pages and thirteen thousand words….

XXXXX

She woke to bird songs in the forest. It was just a little before dawn, light slowly creeping into the world. She could hear him behind her, but she didn't dare move. He'd told her not to look at him while he was sleeping, so she just lay there, waiting. Something strange was happening to her, something she didn't understand. She didn't know who she could talk to about it, certainly not HIM.

Her fangs ached, which she knew meant they were growing, lengthening again, and becoming more prominent in her mouth. Her claw buds ached too, and her dreams last night had been violent. She'd dreamed about ripping into living flesh with her teeth and claws, not in defense, but just because she wanted to, needed to. She'd almost tasted the hot blood in her mouth, felt it flowing over her body and something deep inside her had stirred, with a sleepy growl, and she knew something was waking up.

"You gonna sleep all day?" He muttered.

"No."

"Come here." He said it softly, but that sleeping part woke just a little more.

She rolled over. He was lying on his side on his bed, leaning on one elbow, watching her. She unzipped the sleeping bag and started to climb out.

"Not like that – you don't come to MY bed dressed." He hissed. She felt it stirring inside her, still asleep, but stretching, almost awake. She stepped out of the bag, stood up, with her eyes down, and with trembling hands slipped the sleep pants slowly down her hips. She could feel the blood racing to her face.

"Go get a shower – we can do this later." His voice was filled with disgust. She didn't know what changed his mind; she was trying to do what he wanted. She knew he could see her confusion and it just disgusted him more. He threw back his blankets and grabbed a pile of things from the floor nearby and stormed out of the tent.

She quickly grabbed the clothes she'd slipped on yesterday, and clean under things and SOCKS – she couldn't remember when she'd last had a pair of socks to wear. She thought she might be able to feel her toes – at least she hoped she would. She also grabbed the bag of laundry, and looked around for anything else that might need washed. She found a few things he'd left laying and put them in the bag and dashed for the showers through the frosty morning air. No one else was in the shower stalls this morning, so she relaxed and ran the water as hot as she could get it. Soap here did double duty, and she washed clothes while she washed her body and hair. She lathered quickly, her mother's warnings always in her head to be quick and efficient, not to linger over those parts of her body that were sensitive. Her mother had told her that those parts were the doorway the Devil came in through, and she'd always tried to be a good girl.

She wondered what she'd done wrong this morning. He hadn't woken her up last night like he'd said he might, and she'd slept fitfully, waiting for him. She'd heard him come in and just clear his bed off, change clothes and lay down with a groan. Maybe she wasn't the only one who'd been tired last night. Maybe it was as simple as that. She quickly dried off with a towel, and bundled the wet clothes. The day promised to be sunny, and warm enough to dry the clothes outside the tent, so she quickly dressed and hurried back to the tent. He wasn't back in the camp, which was a relief. There was a rope running between two trees behind the tent, and she quickly hung the clothes to dry before her rumbling stomach made her go running for the kitchen tent.

She saw him sitting quietly at one of the tables, two trays sitting next to him. She took the silent order and sat down next to him.

"Do you always do what you are told?" He asked with a surly growl.

"Usually." She said around a mouth full of scrambled eggs. "My Mom…" He cut her off with a raised hand and a rumbling snarl.

She didn't understand. She thought he wanted her to do what she was told. He'd been pleased yesterday, she thought. She bowed her head and ate her the rest of her breakfast in silence. She carried both of their trays to the cleanup station, and waited for him to tell her what he wanted her to do.

He just glared, and stormed off, she followed as quickly as she could. He led her out into the forest, away from the rest of the camp.

"Why are you following me?"

"You haven't told me what you want me to do today." She said.

"What I want…FUCK!" He spun and picked her up by her arms, slamming her into a tree, one knee forced between her thighs as he braced her at his eye level. "What I want is you to suck my dick, but I don't have time right now, so go back to camp, and stay the fuck out of my way, until I'm ready to fuck you. GOT IT!" He roared the last into her face.

He didn't really seem angry, more like he was searching for something as he looked into her eyes before dropping her to the ground and turning away with a snort of disgust. She was trying, damn it. She'd promised to do what he wanted, but he was going to have to TELL her. When he did, he just turned away and dismissed her like she was nothing. Suddenly whatever was inside her roared to life, and that roar came right out her mouth as she charged his retreating back. She launched herself at him and managed to get her arm around his throat, and one set of claws dug deep into his back. He let out a laugh, which only made her even angrier and she dug her fangs into the juncture of his neck and throat, biting down, until his hot blood filled her mouth. He roared then – either in pain or triumph she wasn't sure, but the next thing she knew he threw her off, onto the ground and had her pinned under his huge body, her claws trapped by one of his massive claws over her head.

"Good – the Mouse IS actually a cat." He leaned down and licked his blood off her chin, almost gently. She could feel his other hand; claws sheathed raking down her body, and then up under the hem of her shirt. His mouth clamped down, hard on hers, his tongue trying to remove every drop of his blood from hers as his hand slipped up and cupped her breast, pinching her nipple under the cloth of the bra. She bit back, still angry, and he pulled back, laughing. "You are going to be fun to tame, Mouse."

He started to lean back down to her when they heard a bull horn from camp.

"SHIT! We finish this – later." He growled standing up and adjusting his clothes. He turned to walk back to camp and she saw the drying blood on the back of his shirt. She'd bled him, and she knew he couldn't be happy about it, although he seemed that way. She lay there on the forest floor, trembling – she wasn't sure if it was in fear – or anticipation.

XXXXXXX

He hid his grin until his back was to her. The little cat had claws and a good instinct on how to use them. She had fangs, and KNEW how to use them. His neck STILL ached from her bite. He ran his hand back over his neck. First blood went to her, this time. He adjusted his pants again as he remembered the feel of her teeth in his neck. He'd nearly spilled himself right then, and he was still aching and fully aroused by his little Mouse. He reached up to touch the spot on his neck; his fingers traced something strange. He groaned at the soft brush of his fingers, it sent a thrill right to the base of his dick. He could still feel the ridges of her teeth on his neck, and he shouldn't be able to. It should be fully healed. He would look at it later. He pulled his hand away, a slow burning anger building inside him.

He walked to the raised platform in the middle of the compound, Magneto and Mystique were already there, and the inhabitants of the camp were gathering to hear what they had to say. He saw Predator and his 'boys' gathered near the front and gave them a grin of satisfaction. He would swear he saw the blood drain from their leader's face, but he held his ground. The boy had promise; he'd be good – one day, if he survived the next few weeks.

"I am only here for a short while – the plans are in motion, and soon we will strike. I cannot be distracted from our goals. My Brothers and Sisters, soon we will strike a massive blow for our kind, and the world will tremble at our combined power. I am working on alliances, friends who are sympathetic to our cause, now that their own is less tenuous. There will be more, in the coming weeks, more on these allies, and what we can expect from them, but only if I can count on you.

Sabretooth will be remaining in camp, as my eyes and ears and voice. What he says, what he does, comes from me. We CANNOT be distracted, we cannot be deterred, and we cannot fight amongst ourselves. We must be united – for that is the only way we will be HEARD!" Magneto turned and walked away, leaving the 'stage' to Victor.

"There's gonna be a few changes." He snarled, loud enough to be heard in the natural amphitheater they used for these gatherings. He used that slow burning anger to add force to his words. "I'll post what they are, but the major ones are simple. NO one – and I mean NO ONE" he glared at Predator and his 'gang' "will be drugged, poisoned, or FORCED to do anything against their will. The under eighteen rule is now lifted, the 'youth' will be held to the same standards as the rest of us. They are old enough to fight, they are old enough to die for our cause, and they are old enough to face the consequences of their actions." He watched Predator and his boys puff up, ready for a confrontation.

"All camp discipline and complaints will come to ME, and I will handle them, MY way." He roared the last, and watched as a few of the Morlocks blanched. Maybe it wasn't just the kids that were getting by with things.

"I will post schedule changes and bunk changes this afternoon. I'm breakin' up the parties, boys and girls, it ends NOW!" He backed away from the edge of the stage, and into the shadow of a hanging branch. He didn't need them to see any weakness, and the bloodstain on the back of his shirt was just that. He waited until he was sure only the sharpest of eyes could see it, and turned on his heel and stormed back into the camp. He needed to get this shirt off.

XXXXXXXX

She stayed on the edge of the crowd, the blood on the front of her shirt was too obvious, she didn't want anyone to see it – or her. She heard what was said, and trembled. He was taking over the camp, like he'd promised. He was keeping his part of the bargain, and she felt a slight surge of guilt for attacking him. She made a promise to herself to try to be more agreeable, more obedient, try to control that blind rage she'd felt in the forest. She slipped into the shadows and headed back to the tent.

She'd never felt like that before, not even when her father had thrown her into the streets. She didn't know what caused it to surge then, against HIM of all people. She was lucky to be alive. He'd been more amused than angry, but still, she'd tasted his blood in her mouth, and a deep part of her, the part that seemed to be waking up, wanted to taste it again, taste him again.

She ducked quickly into the tent and dug out a clean shirt and pulled it on. She heard him come in behind her and she jumped.

He didn't say a word, just grabbed himself a clean shirt and threw the bloodstained one at her. She looked at it, and cringed. She'd done that? She still couldn't believe it. The entire back of the shirt was still damp with blood.

"Stitch it up; I happen to LIKE that shirt." He growled. She saw the five holes from her claws in the back of the shirt. She bit back the angry reply, and just nodded, refusing to look at him. She was deeply ashamed of her actions in the woods. She'd never attacked anyone like that, never been that angry; never felt the surge of emotion that his hot blood in her mouth had given her. She was still tingling low in her gut, and she felt like after he'd given her the kissing lesson yesterday, sinfully anticipatory.

She glanced over her shoulder, he was pulling another shirt over his head, and she watched the muscles ripple over his unmarked back. She quickly ducked her head and reached for the shirt she'd ruined. She was confused, he didn't seem angry, rather pleased by her actions. Confusion seemed to be the order of her day, and she just waited for further instructions.

"I said stitch it up."

"I don't have anything to sew with." She said. He threw something at her, hitting her in the head.

"When I'm giving you instructions – LOOK at me. I keep a sewing kit in the tent." He growled. She jumped and turned to face him. He had the collar of his shirt back, looking in his shaving mirror that was hung on the tent post. "What the FUCK did you do to me – I have a fucking SCAR." He growled.

"I don't know." She said, fighting tears. He WAS angry about her biting him.

"Don't do it again." He snarled, and grabbed some papers from under the edge of his bed. "I have changes to post, BE here when I get back, and QUIT the sniveling. I coulda killed you for what you did, but I didn't." He snapped the last as he ducked out of the tent.

She didn't know what to think. He was so quick to change his mood. She didn't know if she was going to be able to keep her end of the bargain. How could she do what he wanted – if she didn't know from one moment to the next what that was? She quickly went and grabbed a bucket from near the shower tent and filled it with cold water. He wanted the shirt stitched, but she was going to try to get the blood out too. She grabbed a bar of soap, and moved one of the camp chairs out into the winter sunlight.

She scrubbed both of their shirts, until the stains were un-noticeable on his, and barely there on her lighter colored shirt. She wrung them out and hung hers to dry on one of the tent lines. That reminded her about the laundry hanging behind the tent. Some of the smaller pieces were already dry so she folded them and put hers in her bag and his on his bed. She still hadn't figured out where he hid everything. She pulled the sewing kit out and into the sun so she could see the holes. She found thread that almost matched the shirt and threaded the needle. Wet or not, he told her to stitch it up, she'd stitch it up.

She was finishing the last of the tiny stitches when he came back to the tent. He glared at her, but she quickly cut the thread before standing up to 'greet' him. Instead, he reached over and grabbed the shirt.

"Nice job." He said and threw it over one of the tent ropes. He grabbed her arm and dragged her inside the tent.

"We need to get a few things straight, little girl." He snarled, dragging her over to his side of the tent. She cringed as his claws dug into her arm. He glanced down at her shirt and snarled. She blushed but reached to grab the hem and pull it off. He just nodded and stepped back. She blushed even redder, but pulled it up over her head and held it in one hand. He reached out and snatched it from her hand and threw it over to her side of the tent.

She forced herself not to try to cover herself, standing there in only her bra but she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye.

"Turn around." He said. She did and found herself looking in his mirror. She heard him move something and then he was sitting in the other camp chair behind her. He stood up and reached over her shoulder to lower the mirror, and then sat back down, dragging her down into his lap with one arm around her waist.

"Now, we need to talk about something." He said with a false softness, his claws were digging into her side, not cutting the skin, but sharp enough that she knew she'd be bruised. He stroked the back of the fingers of the other hand over her neck, and she trembled – this time she was certain it was fear.

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again, please." She whispered.

"What are you talking about, Mouse – this little souvenir on my neck." He growled against her ear. She could see both of them in the mirror. He let her go and pushed her forward on his lap so he could pull his shirt off. Now she was frightened.

"What's the matter?" He pulled her back against his naked chest and she felt his heat against her back in the cool air. She bit her lip, she was terrified, but at the same time he felt so warm. It had been so long since she'd truly been warm, that any warmth was a comfort, even when she knew he was going to hurt her.

"I don't want you afraid, Mouse." He whispered, as he stroked her neck, this time with his lips, and her hair wrapped around his fingers. He was holding her head in place with her hair, and she whimpered in fear on his lap. He reached down and unfastened her jeans with the hand on her stomach, the sound of the zipper loud in the tent. His hand slipped under the waistband and she flinched. No one had touched her like this – not in her entire life, and it wasn't helping her fear in the least.

"RELAX!" He hissed into her ear.

"I can't." She whispered, trembling. She could smell something, surrounding them but she didn't know what it was. That part of her that had woken in the forest rumbled inside, and she identified the smell as fear – her own fear. It was like a light switch had clicked on, and a whole new world of sensory awareness opened up.

She could feel the fine hairs on his chest brushing against the skin of her back, her ears could hear his heartbeat, steady and calm, and her own racing and stuttering in fear. Scent was the thing that nearly put her over the top. She could smell the sour smell of her fear, a sharp smell that part of her mind identified as anger, something sweet, and musky and yet like wet pines after a spring rain underneath that she didn't understand. It was strong from him, as he pulled her back against his body, and she could smell a faint trace of it from her own body. It clung to the back of her throat almost choking her. She could feel the soft brush of his fingers along the top of her jeans where he'd pulled back with her fear. She could SEE, in the dim light of the tent, see the fine details of his face in the mirror, and her own, she could make out each strand of their hair, hers red gold against his tawny mane.

He noticed her change in focus and she heard him take a sniff of the air.

"What is it?" He truly seemed puzzled at what was distracting her.

"I don't know – suddenly everything is stronger." She whimpered. It was giving her a headache.

"What do you mean, Mouse?" His lips brushed the back of her neck, but the she was concentrating on the other new sensations, so it was just an annoyance.

"Everything, sight, smells, my skin is sensitive."

"Really?" He whispered it against her skin, and she felt and smelled an increase of her own sweet scent.

"What is it, what have you done to me?" She could hear her voice tremble. Was this a part of his mutation, could he enslave her with her own senses?

"Nothing, Mouse. It's your mutation, waking up." He grinned at her over her shoulder in the mirror. "That will certainly make things much nicer."

He slipped his hand down again, under the waistband of her jeans. She tensed again, and he whispered against her neck again, "Relax."

She couldn't stop the moan. The scent coming off her body was getting stronger, as was his, his anger was fading, replaced with only that sweet foresty scent. His hands traced down, slowly folding back the fly of her jeans, exposing the simple white cotton of her panties. His lips traced up and down her neck, and he pulled almost gently on her hair, making her lay back against his chest, with her legs on either side of his.

She could feel a hard ridge against her back, and she knew it was him – that it was that most frightening part of him, and that he wasn't going to let her go this time. His fingers slipped under the elastic band of her underwear. Her jeans were loose cut, and he had plenty of play, something she was regretting at the moment as he slipped his fingers into that most intimate part of her body. She wanted to scream, to stop him, but a part of her didn't, a part of her let out a low purr, vibrating through her body as he brushed gently against something that made her jump it was so sensitive.

"Be still, and relax, Mouse. You'll enjoy it, I promise." He purred against her neck, using that hand to press her back against that ridge, as he ground it against her. She whimpered as he brushed that spot again, she could feel tears burning in the back of her eyes, and yet, that deep part of her let out another of those vibrating purrs.

"I do believe there's a kitten inside that Mouse." He laughed, a deep rumbling, vibrating laugh that caused the fine hairs of his arms to brush her sensitive skin, making her moan and purr louder. He stopped talking, and just touched, and she closed her eyes.

"NO!" He hissed, yanking her hair, making her open her eyes. "You are going to WATCH!" She met his eyes in the mirror. She whimpered through another purr, as her body started doing things that she couldn't control. Her hips started grinding against that ridge against her back, while trying to grind against his hand at the same time. She leaned her head back into his lips, whimpering when he pulled them off her neck.

"What do you want, kitten?" He whispered.

"Please." She whimpered.

"Please what?" He said.

"Please." She arched her neck under his mouth again, she was teetering on an edge, and for some reason she couldn't fall. She wanted nothing more than to fall, and pray he'd catch her, but she just couldn't. He captured her eyes again in the mirror, a full grin on his face, his fangs flashing in the dim light of the tent.

"I don't know what you want if you don't tell me, Mouse." He said, echoing her earlier thoughts, brushing those sharp fangs against the spot on her neck that mirrored where she'd bitten him. She whimpered, and her hips bucked against his hand.

"Do you want me to BITE you, Mouse?" He whispered, and she just whimpered again.

"Really, that's so interesting." He brushed his fangs against that spot again and her hands gripped the arm across her body, her claws digging into his flesh. He hissed and then grinned at her in the mirror before he lathed his tongue over the spot that was driving her insane. What his hand in her pants was doing was NOTHING compared to his rough tongue over that spot on her neck, and she wanted to scream in frustration as he brushed it again and again but didn't bite.

"Bite me, Please." She whimpered, and she caught the gleam in his eye just as he opened his mouth and complied. She felt like her body exploded, the pain at her neck wasn't pain so much as a sensual experience as his tongue licked along the bite, drawing her blood into his mouth as the hand in her pants stroked that spot. She didn't know which felt better or worse, but her entire body collapsed against his in the chair.

"Well, I'll be DAMNED! It scarred." He hissed, licking the spot on her neck. "I'd say your mutation is active, Mouse." She whimpered, his tongue sending sensations down her back to that spot his fingers were still stroking between her legs.

"What was that?" She whimpered, when she could form coherent words.

"Don't quote me, but I THINK that was an orgasm." He chuckled, brushing his lips against that spot on her neck again. She could tell he was mocking her.

"Oh God!" She was mortified, and he wasn't letting her go. His hand pressed her back against him, that ridge still pressed hard against her back.

"I think it's time for lesson number three." He growled, standing up and dumping her on the floor.

"What?" She looked up at him.

"I gave you instructions, I told you what I wanted, I just didn't have time at the moment." He snarled, grabbing her by her hair and dragging her toward his bed. He sat down, and leaned back on his hands, glaring at her.

"What?"

"Suck. My. Dick." He hissed. She reached tentatively for his belt buckle, but he grabbed her hands and put them right on the stiff ridge. "Feel that – I want it out of my pants and in your mouth – before I get pissed." He snarled.

She quickly unfastened his belt and it seemed to spring from his pants as she unbuckled the opening of the soft leather. It was an angry red, with a bead of moisture on the very end. That part of her that had begged him to bite her leaned up and licked that moisture off. It was slightly salty, and that musky scent was overwhelming as she brought her face closer. She opened her mouth, and took the end inside.

He didn't even try to hide his moan, and it gave that part of her a sense of satisfaction. She glanced up at him, and that part of her took over again, taking more of him into her mouth until her lips were stretched taunt around him, cracking at the corners, and her own rough tongue was scraping against the hot soft skin. He moaned again, and she scrapped her fangs, gently against him, and he sat straight up.

"FUCK!" He moaned, grabbing the back of her head. She wasn't sure if he was trying to pull her off, or force himself deeper into her mouth, she wasn't sure HE knew which he wanted. She slipped back, gently as he pulled on her hair and as he let go, she took more of him back into her mouth, he didn't have to guide her again, she picked up the rhythm quickly.

"And I thought I'd have to teach you – DAMN!" He moaned. "That's some animal you have inside you there, Mouse." He was grinning, and her conscious mind retreated, and let that part of her take over. It wasn't long until he was grabbing her hair to hold her in place as he filled her mouth and throat with his salty fluids. She groaned, and swallowed every bit, that thing he called her "animal" enjoying every drop.

"Well, Mouse…I'm impressed." He said, stroking a hand down her cheek. He stood up, pulling her to her feet with him. He pulled her against him, his mouth licking along the edge of her lips. "So tell me – which do you prefer, my blood, or my cum."

She opened her mouth to answer, - both, but another voice shouted from outside the tent.

"Mr. Creed, we have a problem." He snarled, and then took her mouth with his.

"I taste good in your mouth, Mouse." He said, and then let her go. "Stay inside the tent, and do something with this mess." He fastened his pants and pulled his shirt on, storming out of the tent to see what the problem was.

She grabbed her shirt and quickly fastened her pants. She didn't know if she should be completely mortified, or somehow completely smug about what had just happened. It was as if the two parts of her had different feelings about what she'd done. He'd called it her animal, and she was going to have to screw up her courage to ask him about it.

XXXXXXX

"We found this when we searched the tents." Prism, one of the mutant's he'd selected to 'assist' him said as he pulled a blanket back. It was a stash of food, supplies, and weapons; it was the weapons that surprised him. They were semi automatic pistols and rifles, all loaded with silver bullets.

"What tents?"

"The Morlocks." It was Callisto who spoke. She wasn't happy it was her own people hiding these things. He'd chosen well, including her in his assistants.

"They are your problem, Callisto, but I want to know how you handle it. I want to save public punishments for capital crimes." He said.

"Like what, Sabretooth?" She sneered.

"Like rape and murder."

"Of course – things you are intimately acquainted with." He glared at the scarred mutant.

"Yes, so I will be the one to PUNISH them here in camp." He snarled. She glared, but nodded. Even in her mind, he was the most efficient way of getting a handle on this camp. "I want to know WHY they had silver in them, and what they thought they were going to use them on."

"I can answer that. They are for use on Lycanthropes. They pushed us out of the tunnels in New York, they are territorial, and will kill or infect anyone in their way." She said with venom.

"I can even understand that, but if we are going to have to deal with them – then EVERYONE needs to be prepared. I want these things turned over to supply, redistributed to the rest of the camp, evenly. Let me know what punishment you mete out, and I will post it on the board." He snarled. They had interrupted his Mouse's education for this?

He turned to go back to his camp when one of his other assistants walked up. He ended up spending most of the afternoon dealing with problems. Three more stashes of goods were turned up, one stash of pornography, which he returned to the owners, and another two stashes of weapons, again loaded with silver. He was dealing with the last stash when he saw her slip out of the tent, and sneak behind it.

"I'll be back; I need to deal with something." He snarled, storming toward his tent.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" He roared at her. She dropped the clothes she was carrying on the ground.

"Just pulling the laundry off the line." She squeaked. He'd been right to call her Mouse.

"I told you to STAY INSIDE THE TENT!" He roared again. He wasn't going to put up with disobedience from her, defiance. He caught a strange look on her face.

"HOW THE HELL am I supposed to take care of what you TOLD me to DO if I have to stay in the DAMNED TENT!" She actually roared back at him, startling him.

He opened his mouth to answer her, but couldn't, she was right – damn it. He reached out and grabbed the back of her neck, pulled her close against him and crushed his mouth down onto hers. It was the only way he could think of to win the argument.

"Just get this mess cleaned up and get back inside the tent." He snarled, and turned to walk away. He heard her grumbling behind him, he wasn't sure waking her animal was a good idea, if she was going to defy him like this. He had to admit, he'd enjoyed it though. He tried to hide the grin. She was going to turn into quite a feral – quite a woman, and he was going to enjoy educating her.

XXXXXXX

"Take care of this mess, but stay in the tent, who the fuck does he think he is." She muttered as she picked up the laundry and shook of the dirt from the ground. He could just wear dirty shirts if he was going to be a jerk. She could feel the anger building up inside her, and NEITHER part of her wanted to fight it. She was furious. He made big speeches about treating them like adults, and then he treated her like a child – no worse like a puppy that had messed on the floor. She glared at the shirt that still bore the scars of her claws, and considered ripping it to shreds to spite him.

She folded it all neatly and laid it on the end of his bed, before putting her own away. She looked around the tent, there was no way she was EVER sitting in that chair, and she kicked it over in anger. She immediately regretted it and stood it up next to his bed and sat in the old ratty chair he had. The canvas was trying to give way in the back and she grabbed the sewing kit to try to fix it. It was beyond repair, and she decided to try to go through the tent and see if she could find anything else she could use to make a new cover for it. The frame was still solid.

She couldn't find anything and let out a snarl that would do HIM proud. He wanted her to stay in the tent, but she had things that needed to be DONE! She didn't like sitting with NOTHING to do. She opened a small chest at the foot of his bed. It wasn't locked so she just assumed she could look in. She was surprised to find BOOKS, not just books, but titles she couldn't even grasp.

"What the hell is**Theoretical Trigonometry, Quantum Physics, and Applied Spatial Theory**? She muttered, glaring at the offending book. It was at least four inches thick and full of mathematical equations that made her head spin just looking at them. "Now **Economics** I get, but what language is THIS?" She said, throwing a copy of the**Riverside Chaucer** on the floor after trying to look at it and not understanding gibberish inside.

"DAMN even out here I can't get away from Shakespeare." She muttered, finally pulling out a leather bound book. She groaned, but there wasn't much ELSE in there that looked halfway interesting to read. She put the rest of the books back and dragged the big tome to her side of the tent. He had a battery operated lantern and she turned it on for light and curled up in the old chair to read.

XXXXXXX

"Well I'll be damned." He glared at the green skinned mutant as he walked across the camp grounds.

"I thought you had a mission, Toad."

"Easy, sneezy - the magnet just wanted me to knock off some high ranking official; caught him with his girlfriend and his wife, made it look like the wife shot them in a jealous rage. Mags said get back here after the job was done, to help you with this 'logistical mess.' His words."

"Well – you are certainly welcome. I need someone to baby sit the male's tents tonight, keep the 'boys' from getting out of hand."

"I just come in from a nice job, and I get babysitting duty." Toad grumbled.

"I have plans tonight."

"Yeah – I heard. Myst gave me an earful about you and your Lollipop."

"As long as you get the idea that she's MY Lollipop, we are good, Frog face." He grumbled.

"What am I lookin' for?" Victor grinned. He and Toad could get killing mad at each other, try to rip each other to shreds, but when it came down to it, they made a hell of a team. He gave Toad the breakdown on what had been happening, and what he'd done to fix it so far.

"So, can I get a setup like yours now?" Toad asked. Victor just growled. "Ahhh come on, you have your Lolli, why can't I."

"Because – I promised to PROTECT them." He snarled.

"But what if I find one that wants to set up housekeepin'?" Toad grinned.

"Good luck." Victor grinned back. He wasn't going to stop him if he did find an agreeable girl – as long as she was really agreeable, and didn't get physically hurt. Frail emotional crap wasn't his problem.

Toad glanced at him, and then just shook his head. "Right, so watch these buggers, make sure they don't meet up after dark ta cause problems, and report to you in the mornin."

"Pretty much."

"And we are doin this, why again?"

"Ya don't let your troops prey on each other."

"And you really found evidence that was happenin'?"

"FOUND it – had it dumped out of a trash bag on my door step." Toad grimaced. Victor gave him credit. He had nothing against a little slap and tickle fun, but he didn't believe in taking it to the point of a cold corpse. Those boys had gone too far, and even Toad understood that.

"Count me in." He said, and picked up his bag from the ground. "I'll be in my tent catchin some flies, wake me up when you want me ta take watch." He watched the green skinned mutant walk across the compound. Callisto, Toad and the other three he'd picked, Avalanche, Malice, and Prism would help keep order in the camp. He'd worked with all of them in the past, and knew just how far he could trust each and every one of them. He took the clipboard he was carrying and dropped it in Avalanche's hand.

"Your watch." He snarled.

"Right, have fun." The younger man grinned at him. He snarled back. He doubted anyone would have any illusions about what was happening in his tent tonight, but he still didn't like the knowing grins and nudges as he walked by. What happened between him and the Mouse should be between them.

He pulled back the flap, and was surprised by the sight. She was curled up in his old ragged chair, a lantern hung from a strap in the top of the tent, reading – Shakespeare at that. He couldn't stop the grin that crossed his face. She glanced up, and closed the book, almost reluctantly.

"Been through my stuff I see." He snarled.

"What else was I supposed to do? I don't have an 'off' switch. I'm not some doll." She snarled. He almost ducked back out the tent. The Mouse had a temper that was for sure. She was going to have to learn, he'd put up with it – but only so far. He let the growl that was building up slip from his lips.

"I never said you couldn't, just be careful with that, I've had it a while." He pointed to the book in her lap.

"What did you mean?"

"What?"

"About my animal?" She asked, in a rush, like she'd been building it up.

"That's what I call it, the feral side, the part that controls the animal instincts inside you." He sat down in the new chair. "Where's the other chair?"

"Outside. You told me to stay in the tent."

"Go get it, SHIT!" He grumbled. She jumped up, carefully setting the book in the chair, and ducked outside to grab the other new chair.

She set it up near the old one and he glared. "What's the matter – don't like this chair." He said patting the iron frame, grinning. He watched her blush.

"Tell me more about the animal, please?" He winced at the word. She was curious about her mutation; she didn't have to beg him for information.

"It's not easy to explain. It's a part of you, it understands how to use your senses properly, how to interpret what they are trying to tell your human brain, and it translates it so your human brain can understand. It's instinct; it strengthens those things that have been weakened in humans, survival instincts, rage, hunting instincts, the thirst for raw meat and blood." He leaned back in the chair, watching her reactions to his words. She was mostly curious, but there was something else, a fear.

"You can fight it – be like the damned Runt – always running from what's inside you, or you can accept it, make it a part of you, until you can't tell where the human ends and the beast begins. I can't make that choice for you Marissa." She jumped at his use of her name.

"Will it hurt me, make me do things I don't want to do?" She asked, a blush on her cheeks, he grinned. She was remembering earlier.

"No. Right now, there will be some battles for dominance inside you, the animal will want its freedom, but YOUR will controls it, right now it's like a caged animal, but only you can tame it – or let it control you."

"What do you do?" He was surprised at the question, more because he really didn't know the answer than anything else.

"A little of both, I think; my will is in control most of the time, but I give it its freedom every now and then, it makes me a better hunter that way. I give it what it wants, and it gives me what I need, the instincts and reflexes I need to survive, but without my knowledge and skills, I'd be nothing more than an animal."

He was surprised by her nod. "Any other questions, or are you ready to go get something to eat."

"I'm a little hungry." She said.

"Then go, I ate earlier." She jumped up to leave, but stopped herself and walked to him. "Good girl." He whispered as he accepted her kiss. She blushed and ran from the tent. He let her go and grabbed the lantern and moved it to his side of the tent. He needed to relax; all the crap in camp had him tense. He grabbed the trig book out of his chest and a pencil and started working some of the equations.

XXXXXX

She saw Kate and a couple of the other girls in the kitchen tent and grabbed a tray to join them. She sat down on the bench but none of them would look at her.

"Risa, what have you done?" Kate said, finally.

"What? Are you guys alright, you haven't been hurt or anything?" She asked, concerned. He'd promised to take care of them.

"No, it's just – people look at us funny, like we are dirty or something and I heard Sabretooth telling the Doctor we were 'his.'"

"You are under his protection, yeah. Predator and the others won't dare bother you." She said.

"But what do we have to DO Risa?" Kate snapped. "We knew the rules with Predator, avoid at all costs, but now, we don't know the rules."

"The rules are simple. Sabretooth is protecting you, making sure no one hurts you, and you live your life, and stop being afraid all the time."

"We all know about him – he's going to want something, there is going to be a price." Susan said, the tension making the bone spikes on her back more prominent.

"Marrow, he's not going to hurt any of you, you have my word. I promised to take care of you, make sure nothing happened and I'm doing that, okay." She said.

"But what do you have to do? I know the rumors I'm hearing." Kate said.

"I agreed to do whatever he wants if he'd protect us." She said. The other girls paled, the all had a pretty good idea what he was capable of. She knew probably better than any of them now, and knew the price wasn't anywhere near paid.

She ate the rest of her dinner in silence, and all of the other girls gave her shoulder a quiet squeeze when they left the table, she didn't know if it was in sympathy – or gratitude, she was picking up both from their scents. She was dreading going back to the tent. After this afternoon, she knew he was going to want more from her, and she was afraid, very afraid.

She'd avoided thinking about the afternoon's ordeal, but now it was forefront on her mind. She was ashamed of what she'd done, what she'd allowed him to do to her, what she'd allowed him to make her do to him. She could have fought, could have resisted him, he'd been almost pleased with her attack in the forest, but she doubted he'd have been pleased if she'd fought him this afternoon.

It had been almost like a lesson – in fact he'd called part of it a lesson, and she had a feeling she was going to flunk this particular school. She just didn't understand what he wanted from her. How could she do it – if she didn't know? She stood up and carried her tray to the clean up area. She knew she wouldn't be able to drag her feet much longer, and he was going to get tired of waiting eventually. She imagined him growling in the tent wondering what was taking her so long.

XXXXXX

He was oblivious in a way that only a tricky math problem could drive him to, he didn't see anything but the formula on the paper in front of him. It was his vice, his secret that very few people knew. He liked math, not just liked it, was obsessed by it. It was so precise, so controlled, so exact. The problem was either right or it was wrong, even in theoretical math, there could only be one answer, even if there were more than one answer to the problem, that was an answer in and of itself. Math was like a drug, it grabbed a hold of his mind, and very few things could distract him from it, once he started a problem. It was the one thing his animal didn't understand, didn't come close to comprehending, the ONE thing his human mind could enjoy without it rearing its primitive head. He gave in to it in most things, but this one joy was for his human side alone.

He didn't notice the light dimming outside, or the sounds of people moving around settling in for the night. He didn't notice anything until Toad stuck his head in the flap.

"So, where's the Lolli? Thought I'd at least say hi." He grinned; Victor knew he'd taken in the huge tome in his lap and the pencil and pad resting across one page.

"Lolly? What the fuck…oh, Risa?" He looked up he could see the fading twilight outside. He'd sent her to eat over an hour ago. Where the hell had the girl gotten to?

"Risa is it?" Toad sat down in the other new camp chair, the Shakespeare was still sitting in the seat of the old one.

"Yeah – and she's late back from dinner." He snarled. He was angry; his concentration had been broken, now it would take a while to get back to the problem. He folded the pad inside the book, and stood up. He opened the chest as she came dragging into the tent. She noticed their guest, and paled. What the fuck did she have to be scared about, damn it?

"What took you so long?" He snarled.

"Some of the girls were at dinner, we were talking." She said.

"Did I tell you to TALK to anyone? I said get something to eat." He wasn't really angry with her, but she was convenient to lash out at.

He could feel eyes boring into his back – surprisingly from Toad. "What's your problem?"

"You can't expect the girl to eat with people and NOT talk to them. You are bein' an ass, Tooth." He said, patting Risa on the hand as she picked up the book from the old chair. Victor tried to ignore the twinge from his neck.

"Did I ask you to interfere?" He snarled.

"No – but I'm goin' to anyway, and you know it." The green mutant grinned at him. Victor just grunted.

"Risa – Toad." He snapped. She handed him the book, and he slipped it into its place in the chest, caressing the leather binding, before dropping the lid. She sat down in the old chair, and the back gave way, sending her sprawling across the floor. Toad jumped up to help her, and the spot on his neck flared with pain as the other man touched her. He snarled low and threateningly.

"I'm just helping the girl." Toad snapped at him.

"SHE'S MINE!" He roared, grabbing Toad by the back of the neck.

"Hey – I get it, the girl just fell – get a grip 'Tooth." Toad said, backing away from Risa who was still lying on the ground. "I'll catch ya later, after you get this whole mess out of your system." He snarled as the smaller man left the tent and then glared at the girl cowering on the floor.

"GET UP!" He roared. She trembled and jumped to comply. He grabbed her by the hair, pulling her to her feet faster and then switched his grip to the back of her neck. "Who do you belong to?" He snarled down into her face.

"You." She whispered, trembling under his hand on the back of her neck. He could feel the ridges of the scar on her neck under his index finger and he stroked it absentmindedly as he tried to understand exactly what had happened. He heard her moan but it didn't register with him. What had set him off? Toad was right; there was no reason for him to react that way. He almost tossed her aside when her scent hit him. It was a heady combination of anger and fear and definite arousal that usually triggered an instant reaction, but this time instead of a trigger it was like a sledgehammer hitting his senses.

He didn't say anything, just looked at her. Her eyes were as black as his, but he could read her need in them. Her body was radiating need, she was whimpering under his grip as he stroked the scar he'd placed on her neck. He pulled her closer, leaning down and capturing her mouth with his. The little Mouse surprised him, she bit him for all she was worth, nearly biting his lower lip completely off. He pulled back more in surprise than pain.

"What'd you do that for?" He purred, the pain triggering his reaction even stronger. He'd never denied that pain was a turn on for him, his or someone else's, it didn't matter.

"Let me go." She hissed, spitting at him in her fury. She was FURIOUS, not just angry, but pure feral rage furious. He wasn't paying that much attention, her fury was another trigger, and he wanted nothing more than to have this little spit fire screaming under him. Her claws across his chest surprised him, again. He dropped his hand from her neck and backed up. She jumped back and dropped into a defensive crouch. He shook his head, to clear it. He didn't know what had just happened.

"Risa – what…stay THERE!" He said as he backed away. She was spitting mad, and he didn't know why. His mind was a little cloudy from the last few minutes, and he needed to sort through the images to understand what had happened. He reached up and wiped blood off of his lip. He sat back down in his chair and took a deep breath. It had started when Toad touched her, that overwhelming urge to protect and posses. He'd been feeling it most of the day, nagging at the back of his mind, that something wasn't right, that something was incomplete. His animal had sensed competition from TOAD of all people, and reacted to it. He thanked the years of working together that Toad wouldn't hold it against him.

"I'm not some toy to throw around." She hissed at him, he shook his head again, what she was saying, the words were coming through, but he didn't understand them.

"Shut up!" He snapped. He'd claimed her, chased off the competition, and then tried to – tried to what? All he'd done was kiss her, what caused her to go berserk? He'd been touching her scar – wait his had flared, painfully when Toad touched her?

"Risa – what the HELL did you do to me?" He snarled.

"What are you talking about?" She was cowering now, and the main scent he was getting now that he could concentrate on the here and now was fear.

"This damned SCAR?!" He snapped.

"I don't know." She said. He growled, he didn't like things he didn't understand. He didn't know why he'd scarred from her bite, didn't know why she'd scarred from his, and he didn't like this strange reaction he was having.

"Does yours hurt?" He asked.

"Sometimes, it's been twinging all day." She said softly. Her soft voice rolled over him, combined with her scent and he knew he had to disarm this situation, if he was going to be able to finish his day as planned.

"I don't understand it. I'm not mad AT you, Risa." He muttered. It was the closest to an apology he'd give. She pulled out of her cowering crouch against the tent wall, and tentatively stepped back into the light from the lantern. Her chin and mouth were covered in blood, and there were drops on the dark shirt she'd changed into. He was going to have to consider darker clothes for both of them until they got this need for each other's blood under control. He looked down at his chest, the tears from her claws and the blood staining it. He reached over his head and pulled the shirt up and over, tossing it on the floor. "Come here."

She trembled but moved to obey. That was something else that was bothering the hell out of him. She had fire, spirit, enough to blood him not once but three times today, and yet she moved to obey like a whipped cur. He knew the spirit wasn't all her animal, not even mostly. She'd had it long before the animal woke up, or she wouldn't have kept those girls alive for two months on their own.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Risa. I want to make sure I haven't, alright." She stepped within his reach, but he didn't reach for her. He gestured for her to kneel in front of him. He watched the blood drain from her face as she glanced at his groin before moving to comply.

"Not now." He said and reached out and brushed the hair away from her shoulder. He pulled back the collar of her shirt and looked at the scar. It had healed clean, with no signs of infection or anything else that might cause her pain. He didn't remember hitting any tendons or ligaments when he'd bit through the muscle, so it should have healed easily. He brushed his finger across it and smelled a wave of arousal from her, followed by a wave of shame.

Stand up." He said. She jumped to her feet. "Get behind me." He could smell her confusion, but she moved to obey. "Touch it."

Her fingers were soft, against the skin of his shoulder, they felt nice, and someday he'd have to teach her the right way to rub the knots out of his muscles, but that wasn't what he told her to do. He started to snarl, but it quickly turned into a deep moan of need as her fingers hit the scar, and it was like fire straight to his groin. It was one of the most sensual experiences he'd ever had, and he didn't want her to stop. He tried to bite back a second moan, but it escaped his lips and she jumped back, a wave of fear rolling off her.

"Damn." He muttered.

She walked back in front of him, and this time he reached out and pulled her to him, making her stand between his knees. He rested his forehead against her shoulder, as he tried to regain his composure. What had she done to him? What had he done to her? Was it temporary or something permanent as implied by the fact that their bodies had scarred. She was safe in his arms, and a wave of relief poured over him.

He wanted to snarl, to rail against this frail mess that was trying to choke him, but he couldn't, the only sound that escaped his lips was a sigh. He felt her rest her hands gently on his shoulders, well away from his scar.

"What is it?" She asked. He could feel her confusion.

"I don't know, but it's not just you." He hated admitting that it affected him, but there it was. He hated anything that made him weak or frail, and knew if he couldn't control this, he'd hate her too. He needed to get control of this situation and quickly. He did the only thing he could think of. He pulled back and looked up at her.

The look on her face startled him. She was concerned – about him. He definitely needed to get a handle on this. He slipped his hands under the hem of her shirt, along the skin at the top of her jeans.

"You have no idea what that did to me, do you?" He asked with a purring growl, nuzzling into her chest. He could smell her fear – and her body starting to respond to him. He let his claws slip out and gently scratched around her waist and across the skin of her back. Her body arched into him, and he grinned.

"Let's just forget this for a while; I have something better to do." He whispered, pulling the hem of her shirt up, and kissing along the skin under the edge of her bra. He licked her when she moaned, causing another moaning whimper, and he knew he'd won.

He wanted her – naked, where he could explore her skin to his heart's content. He let her go and pulled back away from her.

"I think you are just a little overdressed, Mouse." He grinned, and it widened at her blush. She knew what he wanted, and that there would be no reprieve tonight. She stepped back, and he gave her a playful – for him – glare. She quickly started taking of her clothes, but he stopped her.

"Take your time, Mouse. I'm enjoying the show." She glared at him, fire in her eyes and he knew the trick was to keep her on the edge of anger, make it a challenge; she didn't want to back down from a challenge. She slipped the shirt up over her head, the simple white cotton bra contrasting against her peachy skin. She reached back to unfasten it, but he signaled lower. She blushed again, but leaned over and untied her boots. He watched the way her breasts moved as she unfastened the laces, and knew he'd be getting out of these pants soon – before they cut off his circulation. The tent was filling with the mixture of their musk and he was swimming in the scent. He stood up, startling her.

"Just tying the flap down for the night, Mouse, I ain't in the mood for any more interruptions." He kicked his own boots off and started unfastening his pants. He heard her intake of breath and he turned to look at her. She'd slipped the jeans off and was standing there in nothing but the plain white bra and panties – and socks. He had to chuckle.

"Socks have to go." He grinned.

"But my feet get cold." She said.

"You can put them back on when you go to bed, Mouse." She blushed again at the reminder that what they were doing wasn't getting ready for sleep. He walked over and slipped his arms around her waist. "Getting nervous?"

She just nodded, and bit her lower lip; he chuckled and put his finger to her lips. "Quit that, that's my job." He whispered before proving his point. He captured her mouth with his, sucking that bottom lip into his and nipping it with his own fangs. She whimpered into his mouth and he almost forgot the patience he'd promised himself he'd have with her. He pulled back, the sweet taste of her mouth still clinging to his lips.

"You taste good, Mouse." He grinned. He'd been thinking about this quite a bit today, trying to figure out the best way to 'educate' her without actually hurting her. He didn't have any doubts about his prowess – or his endowments, and he knew he could cause her serious harm if he wasn't careful. In most cases – he wouldn't give a rat's ass, most of the time he was only interested in his satisfaction, and his 'encounters' usually didn't last more than one night anyway. He planned on having her around a while, so he was going to have to be careful – to an extent.

As much as he hated taking it slow, he didn't have a whole lot of choice tonight.

XXXXXXXX

She whimpered as his hands traced along the top of her panties as he pulled her toward the chair – the same chair he'd bitten her in this afternoon. She was really starting to HATE that chair. He sat down and pulled her between his knees. He slipped his hands around her waist and up her spine to the fastener of her bra.

"Mouse, you're trembling. You scared?" She nodded and he let out a little sigh as if she'd disappointed him.

"Have I hurt you – really hurt you, at all?" He asked.

"Well – no." Not even the scar had actually HURT – exactly.

"Then trust me." He whispered as he pulled her down to sit on one massive thigh. He still had his pants on, they were just barely unfastened, and she wasn't about to look. She felt the bra fastener open and he slipped the straps down her arms and tossed the garment across the tent to her bedding. "You can pick it up later."

She moaned as his hands traced the skin of her waist, up to her shoulders and then down, cupping her breasts and brushing her nipples with the pads of his thumbs. She couldn't stop herself from watching him – watching his hands, and was ashamed of the moan that slipped from her lips as he lowered his head and took one nipple into his mouth. She wanted to hold onto SOMETHING, and instinctively grabbed his shoulders. The moan against her breast surprised her, and she felt the edges of the rough scar under her fingertips. She quickly pulled her hand away.

"Damn – you quit." He moaned.

"I thought it hurt?"

"Hurt – damn I almost came in my pants." He shook his head.

"I'm sorry." She whimpered, tears burning in the back of her eyes.

"Mousy, that's a GOOD thing. It feels good when you do that, almost as good as your mouth earlier." She could feel the blood rising to her cheeks. He just chuckled and leaned down to give the other side the same attentions. She moaned again and he looked up at her with a grin.

"I ain't a patient man, but I'm tryin to go slow and easy here." He said.

"What do you want?"

"That's a loaded question. Let's start with getting rid of these." He ran his fingers under the waistband of her panties. She blushed but didn't try to stop him as he prodded her to stand so he could take them off. She'd agreed to this, now it was time to bite the bullet and give him what he wanted.

He slipped the cotton down to her ankles and she stepped out of them. He grinned as he tossed them to land next to the bra. She felt one hand on her waist as he pulled her close to him again, this time he guided her to sit astride his lap. She knew her face was completely red. No one had seen her naked – not since she could bathe herself and here she was, naked, and completely open to him, on his lap.

He guided her hands to his groin and she could feel him straining against the leather of his pants.

"I think you know what to do, Mouse." He said. She gulped, but quickly finished unbuckling the fasteners of the soft leather. She could feel his heat as she tried not to brush against him as he sprang through the opening in his pants. "That's better." He said with a sigh.

He reached up and cupped her cheek with his hand, guiding her to kiss him. She moaned as his tongue invaded her mouth, battling with hers, demanding she fight back. She could feel the animal raging inside her – wanting to take control, to demand from him what he was demanding from her.

Without warning, it surged through her mind, and she was almost a spectator to her body's actions. Her hands were no longer passively on his shoulders, but tangled in his mane, claws barely sheathed, ready to fight for what she wanted. She heard his moan as she ground her hips against him, his rigid heat twitching against her stomach. His hands were on her hips, trying to guide her into position but she wasn't ready for that. She knew her body wasn't ready for him.

"RISA!" He groaned against her mouth. "I won't hurt you."

She leaned down, putting her scar within reach of his mouth, his own right under hers. She blew a breath across it and felt his intake of breath and corresponding surge of his hips against her stomach. She brushed her lips across that scar and he nearly deafened her with his roar. His mouth latched down on hers and her body responded with a near explosion. It was as if everything this afternoon was just a game – and this was the real deal. She barely felt his hands – his claws, forcing her body into position, barely felt his surge inside her tight passage or the slight searing tear as he forced himself through her barrier, all she could feel was his mouth – his tongue on that spot in her neck, and the shuddering response of her body – and his.

She leaned her head against his massive shoulder as the tremors slowly subsided in her body. She could feel him now, thick and hot and almost painful inside her, but that animal told her that was where he belonged. She felt him lift his head, a slight groan in his voice.

"Well THAT was different." He said.

"Why?" She whispered, unable to even muster the energy for embarrassment at the moment.

"In a good way, Risa, in a good way." He groaned against her ear, his breath brushing that sensitive spot on her neck causing her to arch against him. His answering groan told her he liked it.

"What do you mean, different?" She lifted her head to look him in the eye. She was honestly curious now.

"Mouse – I've never NOT noticed what was going on with my dick before. I mean I could feel it – but your mouth was more important – what you were doing with it. Which reminds me - SHIT! - I forgot the fucking condom." He stretched out one leg behind her, causing him to move inside, and she moaned in response.

"I don't think we are done, Mouse." He said with a grin, He reached over and pulled a bag from under his bed, pulling out the package of condoms. "But I'm NOT taking any more chances." She winced as he slid himself out of her. It felt good, but ached at the same time.

"Oh yeah – we are NOT done – by a long shot." He said as he opened one of the packages and rolled the latex down over him. She watched in fascination, as if her sense of propriety had taken a vacation, she'd worry about embarrassment later. He caught her watching and chuckled.

He grabbed her wrists, and pressed her palms flat against his chest. "Touch me." He whispered, and with a fleeting whisper of embarrassment, she rushed to obey. His chest was solid muscle, the skin taunt over it, and he radiated a warmth that seeped into every pore of her body. She traced her fingers across the planes of his body, down the ridges of his stomach and up his sides, giggling as he twitched when she brushed against his lower rib.

"What's so funny?"

"I think you are ticklish." She said, biting her tongue as she said it, and brushed her fingers across that spot again. He twitched again and tried to hide the grin. "Yep – YOU are ticklish."

She watched him try to get angry but she brushed across that spot again and he gave up.

"Okay – it tickles – now QUIT!" She didn't know why, but he liked it, her exploration. She leaned down, not touching him with her face, but taking his scent and filling her lungs with it. He moaned as she did.

"Animal acting up?" He asked softly.

"A little, almost as if I want to memorize your scent." She said.

"I know that feelin," He said as he brushed his face against hers, she heard his long intake of breath. "I can taste you in the back of my throat."

He gripped her hips, guiding her back down onto him and she moaned as her body stretched to fit him. She was almost uncomfortable with her legs to the side of the chair. He guided her until they were wrapped around his waist, making her hold on him inside her even tighter, she watched as a nearly ecstatic expression crossed his face.

"I ain't used to goin' slow – I must say – it definitely has its plusses" He grinned as he started to move his hips. She moaned half in pain as he started to withdraw and then thrust back in. "That hurts?"

She nodded. He did it again, making her hiss with pain this time. He gave her a sly grin and stopped moving. "I like a little pain, Mouse, but I'll let you adjust."

Her body seemed to be torn between aching pain – almost as if she were being split in two, and seeping warmth that spread from his penetration of her body all the way to the ends of her fingers and toes. She couldn't stop herself, she arched her body against his, taking him a little deeper inside, and moaned at the sensation. He pressed one hand into her back, making her arch again, and she moaned again – the warmth winning out over the pain. He moaned a little, as her body moved along his length. She felt his claws slip out, and moaned as he scraped them over her back.

"Risa." He moaned her name, and then suddenly he was all surging motion. He stood up, with her legs still wrapped around him and spun, dropping her onto her back on the bed, his body covering hers, and NEVER letting them separate. He grabbed her hands and pinned them over her head, and then, with a gleam in his eye, latched his mouth onto the scar on her neck. Her body surged in response and she barely felt him thrusting deep inside her, as his tongue lapped against that bundle on her neck. She felt that crashing, explosive feeling again, but this time he didn't meet it, instead, he kept his mouth on her neck, his body thrusting into hers, and that wave crashed over her again and again and again.

She couldn't remember sound – but when he finally let her relax, her throat was raw, and he was chuckling in a very smug – self satisfied way.

"I KNEW you'd scream for me." He said his body still buried inside hers. She knew he wasn't through yet, that he still wanted something from her. She felt him move, and moaned, this time not with pain, but just with the sensation. "That feel good?"

She nodded, and he moved again, but this time pulling back, nearly pulling completely out, and then thrusting deep and hard into her again. She inhaled sharply with the pain – and pleasure of the movement.

"Let's try this the conventional way." He grinned and thrust into her again. She moaned this time – he really did feel good. She didn't know if her body was capable of another wave like the ones he'd carried her through, but she felt it building, and just let him hold her as it crashed over her again, this time, he let out his own roar of satisfaction, and she could feel the pulsing throb inside her as his own wave crashed over.

"And I thought you were a Mouse." He grinned, pulling out and she heard a wet plop as something hit the tent floor next to the bed. "Hate those things." He muttered. He rolled off of her, scooting her to the side as he rolled to his back. He let out a deep satisfied breath.

"Go to bed, Mousy, get some sleep – you've earned it." He said, giving her a not so gentle shove out of the bed. She moved slowly, a deep ache inside her. She looked back at him, but his eyes were already closed. The air in the tent was cool, and she quickly pulled on her pajamas and climbed into her sleeping bag. She rolled onto her side, her back to him, and closed her eyes. She was too tired to think about it, she would deal with it in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (3/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: NC-17 (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXX

Risa looked around the tent. It had been a week since his 'lesson' as he called it. She didn't understand. He practically ignored her during the day, confining her inside the tent, or at least within his personal camp space, while he dealt with camp issues. At night, he'd come into the tent – expecting his 'greeting' and more. If she wasn't ready – either already undressed, or in his hands for him to undress her, he would snarl and growl until she was a trembling pile of nerves.

He kept his word – he never hurt her, although there had been a few times he'd sent her back to her bed still trembling with need, while he rolled over and filled the tent with his self satisfied snores. She was learning – and quickly – that his needs were the most important – but only to him.

She was bored – and tired of looking at the inside of the canvas walls, and the rather dull books inside his little chest. He'd taken off today taking care of the camp, and his instructions hadn't changed. 'Stay in the tent as much as possible, don't leave the camp site unless I can see you leave, and don't roam the camp.' She was tired of those instructions, tired of living inside these canvas walls like a prisoner. The only thing that kept her there – and obedient to his will – was her word, her bargain, and as long as he kept his end – and the others were safe and protected – she would stay quiet and obedient.

She stuck her nose outside the tent to see if she could see him. She was hungry, and lunch was being served. She saw him and he scowled at her, but she made sure he saw her leave the tent and go to the meal tent.

She grabbed a tray and stood in the line for hot food. Her new senses had served her well so far, she knew Predator and his gang were nowhere near the meal tent, and she could relax and eat. She filled her plate quickly and found a quiet table away from everyone. Sabretooth didn't like her talking to anyone. She was really getting TIRED of what Sabretooth liked and didn't like. She felt a low growl starting in her throat and tried to ignore it. Her animal didn't like it either.

"Risa, can we join you." It was Kate and Marrow and a couple of the other girls. She glanced around and nodded. He wasn't anywhere around, and she was tired of only him to talk to.

"How are you doing?" Kate asked as she sat down.

"Bored, mostly." Risa said.

"Really – I mean, we've all heard the…" She hushed as Marrow elbowed her.

"The what?"

"Screams."

"What are you asking?" She snapped.

"Is he hurting you – are you letting him, so he'll protect us?" Marrow ground out.

"No. The only thing I am suffering from is a terminal case of boredom. 'Stay in the tent, Mouse. Don't go outside, Mouse.' I am so SICK of it." She grumbled.

"You are bitching about SARETOOTH!"

"Yeah – he's a jerk – sometimes."

"Just sometimes?"

"I've learned quite a bit about my mutation, he doesn't mind me asking about it, and he knows a lot. He likes to read." They all gave her a strange look. "He really likes strange math shit that makes my head spin." They all giggled.

"I'm sorry but Sabretooth and MATH are not two things I'd ever see together." Kate laughed.

"He's really good at it. He says it relaxes him."

"WEIRD!" They all giggled, and Risa ducked her head as he walked into the tent. He glared at her, but nodded and went to get his own meal.

"Do you have to go?"

"I don't think so." She said, and decided she was staying – she'd deal with him later.

She relaxed and talked with the girls. They all were from different parts of the country, different backgrounds, but surviving together had made them all friends. Suddenly Kate paled.

She was looking at the entrance of the tent, where several new people that Risa hadn't seen before were standing looking half lost. Suddenly one of the women let out a gasp.

"Mom?" Kate said.

"KATHERINE DIANE" The woman shouted and Kate jumped up and ran across the tent, the woman gathered her up in her arms, and both were crying. Risa felt a lump in her throat, and suddenly wondered where her own mother was – and what she was doing? Kate ran back over and grabbed her tray.

"I'm gonna go help my mom get settled." She said, and left the table quickly. The other girls were quiet after that, and Risa suddenly wanted to be back inside her little prison.

She dropped her try off at the cleanup station and made sure he saw her leave the tent. She walked straight back to his tent and looked around for something to do. The old chair still needed the back repaired, and when he got back she'd ask if she could go to supply and get some canvas to repair it. She sat down on her bedding, and pulled her knees up to her chin.

She could still see her mother standing on that porch – her father screaming at Risa to go – she was a fucking mutant, no child of his – and her mother screaming at him, him slapping her, hard, knocking her to the boards of the porch floor. She'd wanted to run to her mother – wanted to fight him, stop him from hurting her mother anymore. Instead she'd run like a coward, into the night, leaving her mother there. She didn't know what happened, or if she was alright, but Risa wanted to know.

She didn't even notice the tears, until he stormed into the tent and glared at her.

"What the fuck are you sniveling about?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me."

"It has NOTHING to do with YOU or our deal, I don't BELONG to you; I have some things that are JUST MINE, so FUCK YOU!" She shouted, she didn't know where the courage came from, but he actually backed up a step in surprise.

"Let's get something straight." He snarled, reaching down and dragging her to her feet. "You DO belong to me, and if I want to know exactly what the fuck has your face as wet as a cat in a rainstorm, you are fucking going to tell me."

"No I'm not. It's NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!" She roared – really roared at him, and if the rage hadn't controlled her, she might have laughed at the look of surprise on his face.

He let go of her arm, and stepped back a second. He glanced around, and she was afraid he was looking for a weapon, but why, he had his claws, he didn't need anything else to hurt her with. He reached down and grabbed her bag, yanking the small black phone out of the front pocket.

He hit the power button, and scowled, then threw it at her. She caught it, instinctively.

"Call her."

"What?"

"YOUR FUCKING MOTHER – CALL HER!" He roared. "I thought you would have done it by now."

"What?"

"It's why I bought you the damned phone. You haven't even used it."

"You said only for emergencies."

"No I said my number was programmed in, and only to be called in emergencies." He snarled, and yanked back the door flap. "Just fucking call her, I'm sick of the damned frail sniveling."

He ducked outside and she waited until she heard him walk away before dialing the familiar number. It rang four times, and she was afraid the answering machine would pick up, and then…

"Hello?" She almost cried at the familiar voice.

"Momma."

"MARISSA!" She could hear the tears in her mother's voice.

"Yeah, Mom."

"Where are you?"

"I'm okay. I'm good. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm much better now. I've been worried sick; it's been six months since…"

"I know Momma. How's Dad?' She hated asking the question, but somehow she needed to know the answer.

"In jail."

"WHAT?"

"I ended up in the hospital – that night. I pressed charges, filed for divorce."

"YOU DID?"

"Yes. He threw my baby out into the streets; he beat me for trying to protect her. I wasn't going to stay married to him – I wasn't going to protect him, not after what he did."

"Good for you, Momma." She said, meaning every word.

"Can you come home? Your room is ready, and I miss you." Her mother asked, and she felt her heart ache.

"I don't know, Momma, I don't know."

They talked a few more minutes and she promised to call more regularly before hanging up the phone. She curled up on her bedding, and closed her eyes, clinging to the phone as if it were a lifeline.

XXXXXXXXX

He wanted a few minutes with the girl's father. That bastard needed to die. He hurt Risa – and her mother, and deserved to die for it. He'd let her hear him walk away, and then snuck back up to the tent to listen. He wanted to know everything was alright with his Mouse. He'd been feeling twinges in the scar since the meal tent, something he'd learned to mean that she was upset or hurting about something. He was really starting to hate this damned scar.

He slipped away from the tent as he heard her breathing settle into a regular breathing pattern. He needed to think – and to conduct an experiment. He needed to know just how much control over him this scar gave her. He went looking for Callisto.

"Callisto – I need your help." He said when he found her in the Morlock's main tent.

"What is it? Something in camp?"

"No, something else." He led her away from the main part of camp and sat down on a tree stump.

"What do you want, Creed." She snapped.

"I need you to look at something, I can't see it clearly in the mirror, and I want to double check that it isn't infected." He said, pulling back the collar of his shirt to show her the scar.

"What the HELL! I've been with you in a lot of fights Creed, seen you take a lot of damage, hell dealt you some of that damage, and I've NEVER seen you scar."

"I know." He braced himself as she walked behind him and started probing the scar. He waited for that sensory rush that he got every time Risa touched it – but nothing, no reaction at all. He felt her poking it, even almost caressing his shoulder, but no reaction.

"It looks like it's fully healed, if that's your question."

"It was. It's been twinging a bit, I wanted someone who'd actually seen scars to look at it, and the Mouse just doesn't know what to look for." He said.

"Bullshit." Callisto snapped at him.

"What?" He glared at the woman.

"You wanted something – but that wasn't it." She glared and stormed off, but turned back. "One more thing – you better find that 'Mouse' of yours something to do. She's getting bored and the only thing worse than bored teenage boys – is bored teenage girls."

He glared at the scarred Morlock, and quietly nodded. Mouse was getting bored.

He finished his patrols of the camp – inwardly cringing at the increase in numbers in the last few days. They were going to have to find a way to keep this organized, and the changes he'd made were only going so far. He glanced at Toad and nodded toward his tent. He'd been working on some ideas, but he needed the other mutant to look them over.

Risa had woken up from her little nap and was sitting in the corner when they walked in.

"Go to the supply tent and get a table, Toad." He snapped, and Toad glared, but went to obey.

"Everything alright?" He asked her after the other man left.

"Yeah – and thanks." She said it softly.

"Come here." She stood up and dusted her hands off on her jeans before walking to him. He pulled her close against his chest, and purred softly into her hair.

"I had no idea you hadn't called her. I'd expected it. I made sure you could."

"I guess I just didn't understand." She whispered, leaning against his chest. He grinned into her hair as he wrapped his arms around her. She had a long way to go, and he'd never tell her just how damned pleased he'd been at her standing up to him, but something was starting eat at his contentment with this situation.

"How sweet." Toad said with a grin as he walked in, carrying a small folding table.

"Shut the fuck up, and let's look at this. Don't you have something to do, Mouse?"

"No." She said.

"Alright, then just be quiet." He didn't want her to, he wanted to see if she'd rise to the bait, and find a way to become useful, but there was no way in HELL he was just going to ask her.

"Ok, Toad, here's the camp as it is now. With these new arrivals we are going to have to expand again, but that's going to tax patrols and sentries. We either need to start turning people away, or find a way to house them more efficiently."

"Well – we've been talkin' about it for days, Tooth. We can split the main camp area here, divide things out, and that'd give us a few more beds because we'll be splitting up groups but I don't like it."

Risa was standing looking at the map, the Mouse was taking the bait.

"If you move the meal tent, supply tent, medical tent and shower tents along a central path, that will make more room here and here." She said quietly pointing to two spots on the map. "If you split the camps into unattached men and women and put those camps on either end of the central corridor, it will give a privacy buffer between them, but they will still be able to socialize. That leaves these open areas here for either people who have already paired off or families."

He was surprised. She had been paying attention this week, and had been listening and thinking things through.

"Thought I told you to be quiet." He snapped, trying not to let is pleasure at her observations show.

"Sorry."

"No, Tooth, the kid's right." Toad said, falling right into his trap.

"She's MY kid, Toad."

"Yeah – and everyone fuckin' knows it. Now let the girl talk for a damned change, I've got a feelin she's just a bit smarter than you." HE growled at Toad, that last dig almost hurt.

"I'll get out of the way."

"No, Risa, Tooth's beein' an ass, it's a good idea, and I for one want ta hear more." He growled, but gestured her to continue.

"I've just been thinking about what happened and why and what could be done to help prevent it from happening again. That and – have you noticed how many families are showing up lately, not just individuals, but whole families. That husband and wife with the baby, where are we going to get formula and diapers for them?"

Shit – she HAD been thinking about this, and seen a problem he hadn't even noticed yet. Families were going to be a problem. They just didn't have the supplies to handle it.

"And like Kate and her Mom, I KNOW there are family members in camp that went days or weeks until they found each other, I mean we need to do what we can to help."

"You are right, Mouse. Toad – get started on those changes in the morning. And get an extra large tent from supply; we are setting up a processing tent for new people coming to camp." He said.

"We don't have the man power to run it, Tooth."

"Yeah we do – I have eleven volunteers, don't I, Risa?"

"What?"

"You kept them alive out there, you know what they can do, organize them, get me a new comer processing center where people can check for family members, check in, know where everything is, have some kind of camp orientation where the rules are explained."

"I'm fifteen – I can't do that?"

"Figure it out, I'm tired of you lazing around the tent all day, it's time you had something to do." He snarled.

Toad glared at him as he left the tent with the annotated map. The weather was going to be cold tonight, and there was no way in hell his Mouse was sleeping on the ground – she just didn't know it yet.

"Go find your friends, tell them what they are going to be doing tomorrow, and be back here after dinner, I have an idea for some new lessons." She surprised him by slipping into his arms for her kiss.

"Thank you." She whispered as she kissed him, her tongue tracing along his lips. He considered fighting her, but her scent was so welcoming – and her taste so sweet, he relaxed and let her deepen the kiss. He'd taught her well, she knew exactly what he liked, and his hands were kneading the muscles at the small of her back when she lifted her lips from his.

"Get moving." He whispered. "And don't be late."

"I won't I'm looking forward to it." She blushed – but he could smell that she definitely was looking forward to it. She slipped out of the tent and he grinned. Yep she was coming along well. He glanced at the sturdy camp table, several ideas running through his head. That particular piece of furniture wasn't going back to supply. He left the tent, and went looking for Avalanche. He had a project for him.

XXXXXX

She found Kate and her Mom in one of the women's tents.

"Risa."

"Hey – Sabretooth has a project for us – he wants us to set up some kind of in processing center or something."

"Us – you men US us?"

"Yeah – he said he had eleven volunteers."

"You are kidding – we're just KIDS!"

"Well – how about a twelfth volunteer." Her mother said.

"What do you mean?"

"I have a little experience with training new people with the company I worked for, and with the paperwork, I can help get it set up."

"That would be great!" Risa said, with a grin. "I won't be bored anymore, I guess."

They talked a few more minutes and decided to meet up in the meal tent. Kate went one way, Risa the other to gather all the girls.

She'd just found Marrow and was heading for the medical tent her mind spinning with ideas to discuss with the others when she felt a hand on her arm, dragging her back behind a tent. She spun around, barely missing Predator with her claws. She hadn't been paying attention - or she would have smelled him.

"Well well, what have we here?" He sneered at her as two of his 'friends' grabbed her arms and held them behind her. Predator looked up and down her body like he owned it.

"Let go of me – if Sabretooth finds out about this…" She snarled.

"Oh – he'll find out – the same way he did about Shana." Predator said, grabbing the front of her shirt and ripping it straight down. "Hold her boys; I want to see if she screams for me, too." His hands were gripping her breasts, bruising them, but she could feel her body healing as he hurt her.

The sudden explosion of sound and motion stunned her as she dropped to the ground, blood pooling behind her near her face. She looked around and watched the pool growing, and realized it was from the severed neck of one of the 'boys' that had been holding her. She saw his head laying about three feet away.

"I warned you." His voice was deceptively calm; she could smell the pure animal rage pouring off him in waves. "Risa is MINE – hands off."

"You are the one who let her out to play, Old Man." Predator said with a grin.

"I warned you, boy, I was going to enjoy skinning you alive – TAKE him." A hand grabbed her arm, dragging her to her feet.

"RISA!" He roared into her face. She shook her head and looked at him.

"I'm alright."

"I know that – Callisto – take her, this one is going to be public." She felt the woman grab her arm and drag her along. The natural amphitheater had a new addition, ropes hanging from the thick branch of the tree over the platform they used for announcements. Toad and Avalanche were tying Predator's arms to the ropes. They pulled the ropes tight, until his toes were no longer touching the ground.

"I'll kill you Old Man." Predator was hissing. "No piece of ass is worth what this will do for you. NO one will trust you after this."

Sabretooth glared, and she watched him hit the sound on the bullhorn.

"This is public, boy. Everyone will see what YOU did – what you intended to do – to MY property." She cringed at that statement. "Risa is MINE – under my protection – and you fucked up." He glanced at Toad who handed him something Risa had only ever seen in movies – a bullwhip.

"I thought about skinning you with my claws, but this will be more effective." He cracked the whip in the air. The crowd was gathering, and Toad took center stage on the platform.

"In violation of camp and Brotherhood policies and rules – Predator attacked and attempted to rape Marissa – who is under the protection of Sabretooth. As is his right, he has opted for public punishment of the offender. Predator will receive thirty lashes with the whip, and be left to hang overnight." She trembled; he was going to KILL Predator. "The victim will be present, to witness the punishment."

Callisto whispered "See what he's doing for you, do you deserve it?"

She tried not to flinch as the first lash hit the boy's back. He didn't scream, didn't make a sound. Sabretooth's massive arm pulled back, and the whip cracked again, this time blood dripped onto the boards of the platform, but Predator still didn't make a sound. She cringed with the third crack, as the muscle across his back was sliced open by the buckskin whip's tip. It took fifteen lashes to break him – until he started screaming with the pain. It took twenty for her to become numb to the sound of the whip, and at the thirtieth lash, Callisto wasn't even hanging onto her arm anymore.

She waited until he looked at her, his eyes flat, black, and cold. She just nodded, she could smell his disgust at the sight of her, and she just turned and walked back to his tent. She took the torn shirt off, and was looking for a clean one out when he walked in.

"Don't you have something to do?"

"I'm just changing my shirt, and then I'll be out of the way."

"What?"

"Do you want me to leave these things you bought; they don't really belong to me." She was digging around for the patched shirt she'd gotten from supply.

"What are you talking about?" He snarled, dropping the bloodstained whip on the table.

"I could smell you – when you looked at me. I didn't encourage him, I know you don't believe that, but I didn't. I don't know why you…" Suddenly his mouth was on hers, his hands unfastening her bra, his claws scraping her back. She was confused - but her body responded to the raw scent of his arousal, as well as the rough touch.

"YOU are MINE!" He snarled against her mouth. His hands made short work of her jeans – they were a shredded pile of rags on the floor of the tent as he picked her up and carried her to his bed. He dropped her onto her back and she stared as he quickly ripped his shirt off, and unbuckled his pants sliding them to the floor, where they pooled around his boots as he kicked them off. She moaned at the feel of his bare skin as he covered her body with his, her body stretching to hold as much of him as she could as he plunged inside her.

She just whimpered at the invasion, her body unready for him, but trying to please. His claws dug into her hips as he held her still. He leaned on her shoulder, his mouth gently brushing the scar he'd given her, and suddenly his movement was easier, as her body welcomed him.

"Risa – you are mine, I take care of what's mine. You are NOT going anywhere, this is where you belong." He moaned as he moved inside her, and her body rose to meet him with each thrust. "No one – NO ONE – hurts what's mine." He ground the words out against her mouth before capturing her mouth in a bruising kiss.

She moaned, and his lips trailed down her cheek and back to that spot on her shoulder, and she forgot everything but the feel of his mouth – and his body. Suddenly he stopped, just as she was teetering on the brink.

"Who do you belong to?"

"You."

"WHO DO YOU BELONG TO?!" He roared.

"YOU!"

"MY name, say my NAME!" He roared again.

"Sabretooth." She moaned.

"NO – my NAME!"

"VICTOR!" She didn't even remember knowing it – he'd never let her use it before, and suddenly he was crashing over her, dragging her over that brink with him. He collapsed on top of her, and rolled to his side. She moaned, more at the cool evening air, it was promising to be a cold night, and started to climb out of bed.

"Where are you goin?"

"To my bed." She whispered. "You're done with me, right?"

"NO!" He pulled her against him, and reached for the blankets piled at the end of the bed. "Tonight you sleep here."

Neither one of them paid any attention to the noises outside the tent – if they had they would have heard sighs of relief. Those who knew him had seen the killing rage in his eyes, that cold black stare that meant someone was going to die, but she'd tamed that beast, turned that rage to something else, and everyone in the camp was relieved.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (5/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: NC-17 (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

A/N Don't get any ideas that this is done – It's NOT! Just a brief interlude before I get chapter 6 ready to go.

XXXXX

She was sitting at a table in the processing tent. He'd been pleased with what she'd managed to accomplish in the two days it took to set it up. They'd been processing new people in the facility for about a month, and things were a little smoother. She wasn't happy with the types of people they were getting, it wasn't that they were like Predator and his gang – although some of them were, but they were getting more families, whole families, and they were outnumbering the individuals.

He'd been complaining last night, about the supplies that families used, with little return on the support they provided. Magneto was still out, trying to finesse support for the mutant cause, but with more and more people turning to them for help and support, he was going to need more than emotional support for these people.

"Next." She said. A young man in a long trench coat, and the most unusual eyes she'd ever seen stepped forward. His eyes were black – with red irises.

"Hello, Chere, tell de bucket head dat Gambit's here." He grinned at her,

"Gambit." She wrote down on the sheet. "Orientation will be in the next room, do you have any family here in the camp?"

"Don' you know who I am?"

"I'm sorry but no."

"I thought I smelled swamp trash." Sabretooth said from the tent entrance. "It's alright, Risa, I got him." She just nodded, the young man reached for her hand, gripping it and bringing it to his lips.

"At leas' some tings have improved roun' here. Notin' wrong wid a pretty Chere ta greet a man." He brushed his lips across her knuckles, and Sabretooth's hand crashed down on his shoulder.

"Hands off, Gumbo." He snarled.

"What de matter, Creed? Dat you' Chere?"

"Yeah." The young man blinked twice.

"Whoa – now dat I didn' expec.'"

"Risa, when you take your lunch, bring some for me and Gumbo here, we'll be talking in my tent."

"Sure." She said simply, as she watched him grab the other man's arm and drag him from the processing tent. She was surprised at how little embarrassment she felt.

"Next."

This was a family, husband, wife and three daughters. Their story was like so many others. They'd been living in a nearly all mutant community, but Lycanthrope packs had forced them out. The Lycans territories were growing, forcing out humans and mutants alike. The X gene protected mutants, so they were forced to flee, the humans weren't so lucky. Most of the time the Lycans just bit them – turning them and forcing them under the pack leader's control; mutants couldn't get lycanthropy, something about the way the X gene worked on the immune system killed the virus, at least that was what the scientist that came in two weeks ago said. Vampires too, mutants were immune to.

They didn't get too many being forced out by the Vamp Heads, either they just killed mutants in their territory, or kept them for food. She had heard several horror stories about mutants gone missing, turning up in the "dining room" for Vampire Bloodlines or on the streets where they'd been dumped after being drained dead. Vampires could drink mutant blood – just not turn them.

Kate walked up behind her as she sent the family to the orientation program.

"You should go take Sabretooth his lunch. I'll watch the line." She smiled at the other girl. Kate and her mother had been responsible for most of the setup, and Risa was grateful for their help and support.

"Right. See you after lunch." She smiled and walked out. She stretched in the dim overcast light, and walked to the meal tent. Things had settled down in camp after Predator's punishment. He had recovered – and then, one night he was gone, most of his 'guys' with him. No loss in her book. She grabbed a tray and let the cook know she needed lunch for three.

XXXXXXX 

"I'm tellin' ya Gumbo, hands off." He snarled as they stepped into his tent. He noticed the Cajun taking in Risa's side of the tent, including the fact that her bedroll was piled up, and his own bed's unmade status.

"Ain' she a little young fo' you?" Gambit sat down in one of the camp chairs.

"None of your business."

"Jes wonderin' she seems a little young to be out here, non?"

"I can't disagree with that. They are getting younger."

"Don' stop you from taken advantage, though?"

"We have a deal – that's all you need to know." 

"Do her family know where she is?"

"Her family knows she's safe."

"Whatever. Where's Mags, I got some info fo' him?"

"How's things at the school, Gumbo? Or did they finally realize you were bad news and kick you out?" Victor said as he sat down finally.

"Dat's part of what I have to tell de boss."

"He ain't here, ain't been in camp in three weeks. Tell me, I'll get the info to Toad, he'll go find the bucket head."

"You in charge roun' here now?"

"Yes."

"Okay – Xavier's is full, he's turnin' folk away. I volunteered to come tell de Brotherhood, I need to head back soon, but we're getting mo' dan jus kids, non?"

"So are we, more families as the Lycans take more territory in the States. Canada still hasn't given them a protected status – us either for that matter, but at least we are all on even footing up here." A low pulsing vibrating noise caught his attention. He glanced over and saw the small screen on Risa's phone blinking.

"Gumbo, hand me that phone, out of the front of that backpack." He pointed.

"What dat?"

"Risa's phone." He answered as the other man handed him the small black phone.

He clicked the power button and put it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"…mine. It's my God given right to punish you. That mutant freak was your fault, you birthed it." He heard what sounded like a fist hitting something soft, and a woman's moan. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his own cell phone.

"What's goin' on?" Gambit said.

"Problem." He said, dialing information on his phone.

"I need an emergency number for the police in Dallas, Texas. I'm not in the city so I can't dial 9-1-1." He said into his own phone. They gave him the number, and connected him and he waited.

"Dallas PD Dispatch."

"I have a domestic assault going on at the address corresponding to this number." He gave them the number from Risa's cell phone display.

The sounds coming from Risa's cell phone weren't good, it sounded like he'd picked up some kind of weapon. He put the two phones together so the dispatch worker could hear what was going on.

"Did you get that?" He snarled when he put his phone back to his ear.

"Yes I have units on the way. I am also dispatching paramedics to the scene." The woman said.

"What hospital?"

"I cannot give you that information."

"Her daughter is a friend of mine, she's going to want o know what hospital." He snarled.

"I can't give you that. She'll just have to call each hospital's admissions office."

"We are in fucking CANADA!" He snapped.

"I'm sorry…" He heard a rustling noise in the background, "Mercy Hospital." She said.

"Thank you." She disconnected the line.

He could hear sirens on the other phone, and the sound of the police kicking in the door. He heard the man's voice arguing with the police, and the satisfying click of handcuffs.

"Taking a swing at an officer is a bad idea, Mr. Green." He heard the officer say. He could hear the equipment from the ambulance being brought in and the phone picked up, and disconnected.

"Shit." He hung up Risa's phone.

"What was dat?"

"I need a favor." He looked at the Cajun.

"I need to get back to Xavier's." Gambit said.

"You can do this and then go – Gumbo. I need you to go into town, here's some cash, buy a bus ticket to Dallas, Texas. I'll get Risa's stuff packed." He picked up her pack and opened a small compartment on the frame of his bed. He hid what he was doing from the Cajun with his body. He grabbed a hand full of cash, about five bundles, and stuffed them into an old beaded handbag he had in the compartment, he opened a small box and dropped a single object from inside into the bag as well. He wanted her to remember who she belonged to. He stuffed the bag into the backpack and started gathering her clothes and stuffing them inside. He opened the chest at the foot of his bed and ripped a piece of paper off the pad to write a note.

"You sendin' her away?"

"I'm sending her home – her mother's going to need her. Been thinkin' about it for a while, but now – with what's happened, the kid needs to be at home."

"Dat girl's more dan jes you Chere, ain't she."

"Gumbo – just go get the damned ticket; meet us at the bus depot in town; and yeah – she's my mate." He sat at the table and started jotting down a note. He stuffed it quickly into her bag.

Risa walked in carrying lunch and he glared at the Cajun.

"I'm gone." He said and walked out; slipping the wad of cash Victor had given him into his pocket.

"Here's lunch." She said.

"You need to go home."

"What?"

"Risa, your mom called, she's hurt, bad. She needs you at home." He said it simply as he grabbed the tray and dropped it on the table. "You don't have time to argue, let's go. I'm drivin' you into town."

"She called? You talked to her?"

"Not exactly – she dialed the number; I answered the phone and could hear what was happening. I called the cops; they went and took her by ambulance to Mercy Hospital."

"What happened?" This time she snarled at him.

"I think it was your dad, whoever it was – well it wasn't good." He was dragging her through the camp toward the woods. It was still a long hike to the truck and she wasn't helping with all her questions.

"So you are sending me home, just like that?"

"Not just like that – damn it, Risa. YOU need to go HOME!" He roared at her.

She just stared at him. He dropped his hand from her arm and just started hiking. He heard her moving behind him. He wished she'd yell, fight – do SOMETHING other than just what she was told, damn it. He wanted a mate – not a slave, and yet when she did argue, did question him he got angry. She was driving him insane.

They hiked for half an hour in silence.

"You are sure what you heard?" She asked suddenly 

"Yes Risa."

"Once things are okay with Mom can I come back?"

He turned on the path, snarling at her. "I don't care what you do, but right NOW you are going to go home and deal with your mother and that bastard she's married to."

"He's my father."

"Not in my book – he doesn't deserve the name." He snarled. "Fucker hits his woman, throws his cub out on the streets – doesn't even deserve to be called a man!"

"How did you know that?"

"I have good ears."

"You've been listening to my conversations with my mother?" She shouted at him. NOW she gets the nerve up to confront him – why couldn't she do this a month ago?

"They're kinda hard to miss." He turned and started back down the path. She followed quietly again. She didn't say anything else until they reached the truck.

"What about our deal?" She asked as she climbed into the cab.

"I'll take care of them, and you – if you come back." He suddenly didn't want her angry with him. "Risa, I want you to go, take care of your mother. She needs you right now."

She was quiet while he drove out of the forest and hit the paved road.

"You really want this?"

"Yes. Fuck – I do one good deed a century, consider this it." He snarled.

She actually giggled. He glared over at her.

"So how many good deeds have you done?"

"Two."

"You are two hundred years old?" She laughed.

"NO! Only about a hundred sixty or so, but this gives me forty years before I have to think about another one." He glanced over at her.

"One hundred and SIXTY!" She said.

"Yeah – you have that to look forward to, Mouse." He grinned.

She gulped, and reached up to the spot on her neck. He'd been thinking the same thing – he could see it cross her face.

"Yeah – I don't know what the hell this is, but I don't think it's going away anytime soon, so if it takes you a couple years to get back – don't worry, I'll be here." He pulled up to the bus station. Gambit was standing there waiting. Victor handed her the backpack, and kissed her quickly.

"Go on – take care of your mom. Don't call me unless it is an emergency, okay, but that option's there if you need it." She nodded and climbed out of the truck.

"You bus leaves in twenty minutes, Chere." Gambit said, handing her the ticket. Victor glared at the Cajun who just grinned and climbed on his bike. He drove around to the driver's side. "Here's your change – I don' need you money, Tooth." He squealed the back tire on his bike and took off.

Victor watched as she walked into the terminal and then drove off himself. He still had a camp to run, and ten other girls who were under his protection. He'd promised her he'd take care of them – and God help anyone who messed with any of them.

XXXXXX

She was staring out the window of the bus. It had been a long trip with four changes, but she was pulling into Dallas. She pulled the cell phone out of her backpack and dialed her grandparents.

"Hello?"

"Grandma, its Risa. Can Grandpa pick me up at the bus station? I should be there in about forty five minutes."

"The bus station?" 

"Yeah."

"I'll send him."

"How's Mom?"

"Stable, she's still unconscious. They don't know for certain what damage was done. How did you know?"

"My friend was the one who called the cops."

"Oh – and your friend sent you home?"

"Yeah." She didn't want to talk about him any more. Her grandmother seemed to sense it.

"We'll see you soon." She hung up the phone. Risa watched the familiar skyline in the distance. She was home – for whatever good it would do.

The bus pulled into the station and she climbed down and looked around. She saw his familiar back before he turned.

"Grandpa!"

She ran and threw herself against him, crying on his shoulder. She hadn't realized until just this moment how much she'd missed them.

"Marissa – you've grown." He said, taking her bag. He led her to the car and she climbed in.

"You home for good?"

"I'm here to help Mom. If she needs me to stay, I'll stay."

"Where have you been?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now – I want to talk about Mom." She said quietly. Her time with Sabretooth – no Victor – had given her a confidence she couldn't ever remember having.

"You are going to have to talk about it sometime." He said.

"NO! I was with friends – friends I trust, and who trust me, and I won't do anything that might hurt them." He glanced at her, but nodded.

"Alright. I understand that – and for now, it'll do, but your mother will want to know, when she wakes up."

"I may tell her – but not now."

"You have grown up, Risa." He said. She didn't say anything, just looked out the window as he drove to the familiar neighborhood. She climbed out of the car in her grandparent's driveway and took her bag from him. She wanted to change clothes before she went to the hospital.

"Marissa." Her grandmother was on the steps.

"Grandma." She hugged her, more tears coming to her eyes.

"You are going to want to clean up before you go see your mother." Her grandmother said.

"Yeah."

She went upstairs and put her bag on the bed in the guest room. She opened the flap and saw a piece of paper on top.

**Marissa**

**I don't have a lot of time, but you need to take care of your mother. I'm not doing this to get rid of you, or to hurt you, Mouse, but because it's what you need to do. The bag belonged to my mother but what's inside it is for you – keep it safe for me, will you? I will always be here, and I'll always be waiting. Someday – if I get tired of waiting – I may come looking for you, because you can't get away from me. You are mine.**

**Victor**

She smiled at the note and folded it neatly and slipped it into the front pocket of the bag. She belonged to him; every fiber of her body told her so. She pulled the dirty clothes off the top of the bag and was digging for clean jeans when she found the bag he'd mentioned in the note. It was an old beaded handbag – very old from the looks of it. She smiled and pulled it out. He'd given her something to remember him by, something important to him, and she would treasure it always. She opened the bag and gasped. She pulled the bundles out; five bundles of one hundred dollar bills. She didn't know if she wanted to kiss him – or strangle him.

She felt a lump in the bottom of the bag. It was a ring, an old ring, with dark stains that smelled like old blood. She looked at it, and slipped it back into the bag. She wondered if he knew it was in there. She reached back in and pulled it out, slipping it onto her finger. He had to know – nothing got past him. She put the money back into the bag, and stuffed it back into the bottom of the backpack. She was exhausted but wanted to shower and get to the hospital. She could rest after she checked on her mother.

She grabbed her clean clothes and ran to the shower. She could smell her grandmother cooking downstairs and was really looking forward to home cooked food. She grinned as she showered and changed and ran down the stairs.

"Well you look fresh." Her grandmother said.

"Thanks." She grabbed a plate and filled it. She realized she hadn't eaten in almost two days. "I don't know how you knew I'd be hungry."

"I remember growing girls." Her grandmother said. Her grandfather grunted behind his paper.

"Gramps I want you to know – I'm really really grateful for all the things you taught me. They came in handy for a while." She hugged the old man and sat down to eat.

They left for the hospital after the kitchen was cleaned up. She was scared, but they had good news when they got there.

"She woke up for about twenty minutes this afternoon, and we don't think there will be any brain damage from the assault. She's resting now." The doctor said before he let them into the room.

"Mom?" She sat in the chair next to her mother's bed. She could tell the bruises looked worse than they were, she didn't smell any major pain, but that could be the drugs.

Her mother's eyelids fluttered open.

"Marissa?"

"Yeah – I'm home." She took her mother's hand.

"Thank God."

XXXXXX

He checked the GPS tracker. She was in Dallas now. Good. Where she needed to be, he closed his phone, smiling. As long as she kept that phone, he'd know exactly where she was. He was going to wait until she was settled, and then set up something to take care of them. She needed to finish school, needed to have the things girls her age had, and she didn't need to worry about money or how they were going to live. Her mother was his responsibility now, too, and he's make sure they were comfortable. He could wait. Years were not that big a deal to him, he would find something to do until she was ready to be the mate he needed.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (6/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: NC-17 (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXX

They brought her mother home to her grandparent's house yesterday. So far her father was still in jail, and this time he was going to stay there. He'd gotten out on bail at his arraignment, and the judge wasn't going to make that mistake again. Child Protective Services had tried to step in, and take Risa into custody, but – well for some strange reason that particular worker changed their mind rather quickly, and let her stay with her Mom and grandparents.

She'd been back home for two weeks, and a huge part of her missed him terribly. She checked her phone regularly, but there were no messages. She wore his ring every day, she didn't know if he would know – but she did. She was his, and she didn't care if the world knew it. June was fast approaching, and her sixteenth birthday, her grandparents wanted her to go to public school next year, so she was going through placement testing, trying to get ready. She thought the whole thing was ridiculous. She'd run a processing center for mutants – why did she have to go to high school?

The only up side was her friends from church were going to the school, and she'd be with them, one in particular. He'd been a friend since they could walk, and she was looking forward to seeing Matt again. She really didn't have any girl friends, and Matt had always been there when she needed someone to listen. It was a little strange that he hadn't been by to see her since she got home, but they'd been so busy she hadn't had time to think about it.

She'd been with her grandparents a week when a strange man came to the door and gave her grandfather an envelope. He didn't say anything, just walked away. Her grandfather had opened it, and then glanced at her. Inside was cash – about three thousand dollars, and a note.

**Mr. Morris:  
**

**My name is Daniel Franklin; I am the attorney of record and financial advisor for Mr. Victor Creed. I have been informed by my client that he is taking full financial responsibility for your daughter Mrs. Amanda Green, and her daughter Marissa. Until Mrs. Green's medical condition is stable and she is able to resume employment, Mr. Creed will cover all of her expenses – as well as all her medical expenses incurred by this incident. Mr. Creed will also take financial responsibility for any legal expenses incurred by Mrs. Green in the prosecution of her assailant. He wishes me to express his outrage and concern for both Mrs. and Miss Green's wellbeing. Please contact me at my office if there is any way I can assist you with this matter.**

**Daniel Franklin, Attorney at Law**

"This Mr. Creed is your friend I am assuming." Her grandfather had said. She had just nodded, and he handed her the envelope. "I don't want anything to do with it."

She stood outside her mother's door with a breakfast tray. She didn't know what her mother knew – and what she didn't, but Risa wanted to be the one to explain everything. She opened the door and saw her mother awake and sitting up in bed.

"I can't believe you're home."

"Mom." She walked in and set the try across her mother's lap.

"I'm not going to bother you – you can talk to me whenever you feel like it. Your grandfather is upset about this Mr. Creed business, but I have a feeling there is a logical explanation behind it." 

"As logical as he can be – yeah. He's the one who called the cops. He heard what was going on when you called my phone."

"Marissa – you don't have to answer, but I have to ask. Was he more than a friend?"

"Is he, Momma; and yes, he is, much more than a friend."

"I have a feeling that he isn't a boy you met on the road?"

"No, Momma, I don't think ANYONE would describe him as a boy."

"Did he…?"

"Momma why don't you let me explain – I imagine most of your questions will be answered then." She said.

"Okay. That might help."

"After I left, I found a group of other mutants, they were looking for someplace safe to go, we ended up in Canada, with a group called the Brotherhood…"

"THEY are TERRORISTS!"

"Momma – let me explain. And NO they aren't, they are looking out for MUTANTS, for people like ME! Okay, yeah they've done some things in the past that could be seen that way – and may still in the future, but at least they are doing SOMETHING!" She took a deep breath and started again.

"Anyway, things were okay at first, but then a group from New York showed up, and they were nothing but bullies. Things got bad, for a while, but whenever Sab…Victor was in camp, it was safe. When he was gone, these guys, well they did some really bad stuff, a couple girls were hurt, and one was killed almost two months ago. Victor took things in hand – got them in line, made it safe for us to be in camp."

"And what did you have to do?"

"Mom – I slept with him, okay. There are you happy now?"

"Do you love him?" She looked at her mother strangely.

"What?"

"Do you love him?"

"I…don't know." Her mother cocked her head at her, and raised an eyebrow. "He drives me nuts…at first it was over protective – don't leave the tent, don't leave the camp site, don't talk to anyone, but I think that was because he wanted people to forget about me while he was getting the camp in order. After that – I was given a job – a real job, not just something to do, and I was GOOD at it. I think – in the end – I maybe do – did – DO love him. Then there's the whole physical thing – and his over possessive "you're MINE" crap."

"Marissa!"

"MOTHER! Please – I said CRAP. There's a whole lot worse things I could have said. Besides…" She winced. She felt a sharp pain in her neck, which worried her. "There are worse things than being protected by him."

"I don't want you ending up where I was. He sounds a lot like your father."

"Maybe – but I remember what he said – about Dad. 'He hits his woman – throws his cub out on the streets – he's not much of a man to me.'"

"I don't know. It bothers me, and the money, how are we going to pay him back."

"Momma, I KNOW he'd be insulted, you are my mother, he promised to take care of me and through me you. You are his responsibility, and the only thing that you ever have to worry about – is if you try to keep him away from me."

"That's exactly what I'm worrying about."

"He will take care of us – and stay away. He said we have decades – centuries to be together, a few years won't matter."

"Centuries?"

"Yeah – part of the whole claw and fang thing – I guess you won't ever have to worry about outliving me. It's called a healing factor, and it has kept him alive for almost two centuries, and I have that to look forward to."

"You are certain. He's not just telling stories."

"Mom – he can be a whole lot of things, a liar isn't one of them."

"What can he be then?" 

"I don't want to upset you."

"MARISSA! I want to know exactly who has gotten himself involved in this family."

"Sabretooth." Her mother just stared at her in shock.

"You mean – that MONSTER touched you."

"He did a whole lot more than touch me, Mom. And if you don't like it, I'm sorry, but I'm going back to him as soon as I can."

"What do you mean – as soon as you can?"

"Well he wants me to stay here and take care of you until you don't need me anymore. I think he kinda wants me to go to school and stuff; I am figuring about five years, when I'm twenty or twenty-one, going back."

She sat there and let her mother scream and yell and threaten and all the things a mother does when confronted with something she can't change, but Risa wasn't changing her mind. She knew where she belonged, and if he wanted her to take care of her mother for a while, she would, but her place was with him.

XXXXXX

He roamed the camp for two weeks, snarling and snapping at anyone who came close. Mystique started laughing in his face whenever she was in camp, calling him a lovesick puppy. Toad was a little more sympathetic, knowing that Risa was more than just some frail he'd picked up.

The influx of people to the camp was not slowing down, if anything it was speeding up. They'd taken in two smaller groups of Lycanthropes whose territory had been taken by a larger pack. The alphas were fighting it out, and the lower ranking members of the packs were suffering for it. They'd put them in a camp outside the sentry markers, made them responsible for their own problems, but agreed to help them if they needed it. He didn't like it. This situation was getting way out of hand.

What was worse, they were getting normal humans too. At first it had been just family members of mutants, something he'd halfway expected after the first families started showing up, but now they were getting families of humans – without any mutant members, asking for protection and safety. The camp had grown from around six hundred to well over two thousand people in two weeks since she'd left.

Magneto was actually trying to get some sort of recognition from the Canadian government for their group – and aid to help these people, but the government didn't want to piss off their neighbors to the south by recognizing a mutant group.

Today he was heading into one of the larger cities. He was back to work, and this time he was looking for a lycan friend of his to see if they could find someplace to send the lycanthrope refugees anyway. The packs in Canada were friendlier, as long as you agreed to obey the leader, the ones in the states were getting dangerous, forcing people, and he didn't like it. The spread of the disease among humans in the US was reaching epidemic proportions as more packs grabbed up territory, and already the pack wars were starting, as larger packs encroached on each other. It was getting ugly – very ugly.

He felt a small surge of guilt. He'd sent her back to the states – back into that mess, to take care of her mother. He wanted her back here, safe, with him, but he couldn't change his mind now. Franklin was taking care of the financial situation, and like it or not, her mother was just going to have to accept his help. He understood pride – understood not wanting a hand out, but damn it she gave birth to his fucking mate – he owed her.

The street was quiet, almost too quiet. The neon signs for the bars were the only indication that they existed. He didn't like this one bit. This part of town was NEVER quiet, even at with the bars just barely open. He could hear people in the shadows, but they weren't stalking, or trying to mark him as prey, they were wary, but calm, something else that was bothering him. It felt like a trap.

He walked into the bar. The scents hit him first, and he bit back the snarl. Lycanthropes, over half the 'customers' were lycanthropes, and not anyone he knew. It was the Vampire that surprised him. First of all, it was broad daylight and secondly, traditionally Vampires and Lycanthropes didn't have much to do with each other, that they were 'drinking' in the same bar bothered him, a lot. He glanced around and walked to the long bar to the left of the entrance.

"Beer." He bit out. The bartender flashed him a smile, she certainly had the curves to get noticed, but he was more interested in the dynamics going on in the room behind him.

"Bottle or tap."

"Bottle." He said, dropping a twenty on the bar. "Keep 'em comin."

She popped the top and set the cold bottle in front of him. He grimaced, but drank it. He really preferred his beer warm. He smelled his friend walk in and glanced into the mirror. The furtive glances around the room told him volumes. Rick didn't want to be here, didn't like what was going on, and didn't like the crowd in the room – and he'd picked the bar. Victor started watching the rest of the room in the mirror. It smelled like a trap, now.

"Sabretooth."

"Rick." The other man slipped up to the bar and signaled the bartender. She dropped a glass of beer in front of him, and walked off.

"Why'd you call me?" He sipped from the glass.

"Got an issue – some people with fur issues that need someplace to go, I told you that."

"Why are you dealing with our politics?"

"They came to us. Couldn't very well turn them away – considering."

"You mutes haven't gotten involved before."

"Yeah – well your politics are sending a lot of us 'mutes' running across the border for help – and weaker fur faces are following. I don't want involved in your mess – I just want them out of my camp."

"Your camp – what happened to Magneto?"

"He's in charge of the Brotherhood; I'm in charge of the camp itself."

"I get it – but he's trying to get alliances with several pack leaders, it would look bad, you turning away our people."

"I'm not turning them away, they are under our protection right now – I'm looking for permanent homes for them, we can't support them indefinitely. We are having enough problems with our OWN people."

He watched the three men get up and start toward the bar. He could tell by scent and by the way they moved that they were Lycan. One was some sort of large animal, bear or big cat, by the way he moved, the other two moved like wolves.

"Problem with this mute, Rick?" The big one asked.

"Naa – 'Tooth's an old friend."

"Not a friend of mine." He wanted to groan. He didn't want this going south, although he had to admit, Lycans gave him as much or more of a challenge than the Runt. All that pent up energy, all the power under their human disguises. He almost hoped they'd make an issue.

"Bruce, he's just trying to help."

"We don't need no mutie help."

"Mutie?" Victor turned, glaring at the big man. He grinned, showing his fangs. "You know who you're talkin' too?"

"Yeah – Rick. Butt out Mutie."

"Fuck you – Brucie…Rick and I are talkin – take a hike." He sniffed the man carefully, had to be some kind of bear. "I've got a nice bee hive for ya…why don't you go lick a comb."

Bruce lunged at him, and Victor's claws slid from his nail beds. He hadn't been in a good brawl in a while. He was going to enjoy this. He glanced at Rick, but he just grabbed his glass and moved down the bar, he wasn't going to get involved. Victor would deal with him later.

Lycanthropes were strong, and healed almost as fast as he did, almost. This bear was about his equal, physically, and the two wolves were quick, and one had no problem using his teeth. He felt the bite clamp down over Risa's scar and he felt a surge of rage. He threw a punch right at Bruce's face, making the man duck while he threw the wolf on his back over the bar and into the mirror behind it.

"Nice try – but I'm immune. You can't turn me." He snarled at the boy picking himself up off the floor.

"No – but I bet your mate felt that." He said, launching himself over the bar.

"What?"

"I saw the scar." As suddenly as it started, the fight stopped. Bruce grinned at him.

"Mate – huh?" The big man reached over and smacked the wolf – halfway across the room. "YOU don't attack a mate through a mark, George." He snarled at the wolf. Victor watched the boy cringe, and crawl across the floor where Bruce kicked him.

"Mark?"

"It's a Lycan thing. Mated pairs mark each other, so they are linked. I've suspected feral mutants had the same ability. It makes sense. The virus reverts us to a more primitive genetic state, you are born that way."

"You're pack leader around here?" He asked Bruce.

"For this part of Canada, yeah. My territory is big enough; I don't want problems with stateside packs."

"I ain't lookin to cause trouble." Maybe this guy could help him understand this thing with Risa too.

"Your – homeless problem – it's going to cause trouble. Betas, they belong to the pack that created them. If they have the balls to run, to seek refuge, no Alpha's going to let them join, not without a fight in. They have to prove themselves. It's our way."

"The packs in the states aren't following that, they're making Lycans without any training, any protection, and leaving them to run loose. The ones you call Betas are coming to us for protection, and we can't handle an all out assault by a pack." Bruce slapped the wolf again, before gesturing Victor over to the table.

"Yeah, I know." Bruce said as he sat at the table. Victor lowered himself into one of the chairs, keeping his back to the wall. "The shit in the states is bad, Europe is worse. Ireland is becoming a mess. This legal status hasn't helped us, it's just made things worse. And the Vamps" he glared at the man sitting in the back corner, watching them "they are taking every advantage. THEY are the ones taking in the Betas, making them slaves, muscle, and food, daytime protection. Some Vamps get a rush drinking Lycan blood, it's stronger with an Alpha, but Betas work."

"I thought Vamp politics were complicated?" The bartender brought him another beer.

"They are. You've heard of Hydra."

"Yeah."

"It's run by the seven Heads – creators of the seven Vampire bloodlines. They say the Master Vamp, the one that created the seven is really in charge, but no one knows for sure. They use humans, but it's the Vamps running the show."

"I didn't know that – I've had a few dealings with Hydra before."

"Yeah – well, they have experimented with using mutants, both for blood since they can't turn them, and for slaves. The problem is mind tricks don't work on the mutants very well, they CAN, but it takes a whole lot of energy from the Vamp to do it, so it's not very effective to have more than one or two under their control."

"So what's your deal with the Vamp? What's he doing up during the day?" Victor asked, glaring at the undead in the corner.

"He's willing to take your Betas, His name's Vashid, out of Egypt. He came here about two years ago. He's not a Head, but he's pretty high up in one of the Bloodlines, high enough to have two brides and be able to turn his own 'children' and walk in the sun if needed. His drones help keep order around here, and he doesn't create too many to cause problems with the human population. He's decent – as the not breathing go." Victor watched the man move smoothly through the Lycanthropes in the room. He noticed several reach out to touch the vampire as he walked to the table.

"Victor Creed, you have created quite a bit of interest, with Hydra." He said as he sat down to join them.

"I ain't going to turn people over to you, not when they've come to me for protection."

"Ahh – but I WILL protect them. No other blood is allowed to operate in my city, my master forbids it. I control here, all undead. The Lycanthropes and I have a deal, Bruce keeps his pack in line, and I take any extras under my protection. They are given jobs, legitimate jobs. I run a legal and legitimate business. I even provide medical care, and don't forbid them from reproducing naturally, as long as they don't turn the humans under my care."

"What?"

"This city is mine, all of its inhabitants, whether they know it or not. I don't allow indiscriminate turning of Lycanthropes or Vampires in my city. It's bad for business." Victor nodded and took a drink of his beer.

"What do you mean – reproduce naturally?"

"Human style reproduction – I do not allow biting, unless the human asks for it, and signs a contract clearing the Lycanthrope of liability."

"What about Vampires?"

"The only vampires able to create others in the city are I, and my brides. I have chosen NOT to create anything other than drones, and they feed on volunteer donors, and are not allowed to kill, and I maintain strict control over them."

"Why haven't you set up a larger power base?"

"I do not wish to draw attention to myself from higher in the Bloodline. Vampire politics can be very deadly, and to draw attention is to draw danger for your charges. Not all Bloodlines are seeking power, like the one in the United States. Stoker's charge, in Europe is an idiot, but we all know that. It's the Fountain that is making the grab for power in the states."

"The fountain?"

"We do not mention a Head's name – to do so is to draw their notice, so we have codes for them. You can guess who Stoker's charge is, I am sure."

"I'm thinking of Brahm Stoker – and a certain book." He muttered.

"You are correct. He is one of the Heads – the others, well the only one you need to be concerned about – here in North America, are the Fountain, and the Bear. The Bear is my mother."

"Mother?"

"She who created me, she does not like what the Fountain is doing, and is willing to offer her support to those placed in dire need by his actions. That is the guidance she has given us, her children."

Victor's head was spinning. This was more than he'd ever wanted to learn about Vampire politics. It was information Magneto was going to want, however, and might be a way to set up the alliance that bucket head was looking for.

"If I send my – homeless – problem to you, how do I know they will be safe? Some of them are families of mutants under our care, bitten to try to force them to join a pack in the States." 

"You may check on them at any time, their mutant family members will be welcome to ensure their wellbeing, even join them, without any obligation to the Pack or the Blood. We are all trying to adjust to this difficult situation, and it is in our best interests to work together, No?"

"Yeah. I'll pass the word on; let THEM make the choice for themselves. Where do I send the ones that will be willing to take you up on your offer?"

"Here – Bonnie, the bartender is one of my Betas. She will guide them to me."

Victor swallowed the last of his beer and dropped another twenty on the table. "Is Rick one of yours?"

"No, he agreed to facilitate this meeting. He is a part of Bruce's pack, I thought you knew that."

"I didn't know what Pack he was with, but he's good to guard your back, when you need it." He threw the compliment at Bruce. He hated to admit it, but the Lycans and Vamps seemed to be better organized than the Brotherhood at the moment, and if they could get the support of all the Canadian vampires, it could go a long way toward ensuring safety for the mutants as well.

"Tell your 'mother' Magneto would like to talk to her. I think he'll be interested in your organization."

"I will inform her, I cannot guarantee she will agree to a personal meeting, she may send one of the other Blood, who can speak for her. She guards her identity jealously."

"As long as negotiations are possible without a middle man, Mags won't care."

"Then I will pass on the message, and contact you through Rick with a time and a place, if she is in agreement."

Victor nodded, and then stood up. He needed to get this information back to Magneto, and think about the implications of the 'mark' for Risa.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (7/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

She'd been home six months. School was boring, her mother was unreasonable, and all she wanted was to be warm and safe curled against Victor's chest. She missed him, physically missed him. Her mother refused to accept the money from Mr. Franklin, but Risa had managed to contact him and have him send it to her. Her mother was back to work, which was a good thing, her father was in prison – for a really long time, the jury had given him twenty years. He was appealing it, the jerk, which of course meant more expense, but she doubted the appeal would go anywhere.

"Thinking?" Matt sat down next to her at the table. He'd been her one saving grace since she'd come home. He was there to listen to her problems with her mom. She didn't like discussing the Victor issue with him, but everything else he seemed to have good advice. She'd tested out as a senior, so she was going to graduate from school early, and since he was a year older that put them in the same classes.

"Yeah – Mom's being a pain about a car."

"God I know, my Dad's the same way. Pass driver's ed and we'll see." He glared at the Thursday surprise on his plate. "I don't even want anything fast, just my own car."

"I know – I even have the money for it, but she won't sign for me to buy it."

"Wow – I didn't know you've been working."

"I haven't. A friend gave it to me."

"How much money – and what kind of friend." He looked at her concerned.

"Enough – and a good friend." She said.

"Hey – Mattie, you comin' Friday night. Ask your friend, we'd LOVE to have her at the party." Two of the guys from the basketball team sat down on either side of Matt.

"Yeah – pretty thing like you needs to make friends, if you know what I mean." One of the boys said, leering at her. If she hadn't lived with the Brotherhood for six months she might have taken that for sincerity, but she knew exactly what was on his pea brain.

"Sorry – you're not my type." She said.

"What does that mean?" He said, laughing.

"Just what I said, I'm not interested in stupid boys." She glanced at Matt who was blushing. "Let's go, Matt, I lost my appetite." She stood up and carried the lunchroom tray to the disposal area. Matt followed her.

"They're just being jerks, but they're not that bad." He said. She liked him because he was the ONE guy since she'd started school that hadn't put any moves on her, she assumed that was because she'd known him most of her life.

"I know, I'm just not in the mood for high school garbage. I just want to graduate and get on with my life."

"Must be some life – if you're in that big of a rush." He said as they walked to their lockers.

"Let's just say, I don't really want to be HERE." She said, kicking the bottom of the locker to unstick it before twirling the combination.

"So where do you want to be?"

"I don't know, but not here." She grinned at him.

"At least consider the party tomorrow. I'll be there, and no one will bother you, I promise. You might actually make some friends – besides me." He said.

"I'll think about it." She said grabbing her books for class from the locker.

"Great – call me later." He said and took off, his own books piled in his arms. As locker mates went he wasn't that bad. Heck as guys went he wasn't that bad, she was surprised he didn't have a girlfriend; she KNEW he wasn't interested in a boyfriend.

She knew he liked her – but after a few awkward moments back when she first started school he seemed to be on board with the friend deal. She hoped he wasn't holding out to see if she'd change her mind. He just wasn't Victor.

She walked to class, and sat down. She still had five minutes until the bell, and she had one large problem on her mind. She missed him, it was really bad at night, when she would dream about him, his hands, his mouth, his body. What she missed most wasn't exactly sex, but him being close, wrapped around her like a second skin while she slept. He hadn't let her sleep on the ground after the first freeze, and she'd gotten used to not needing a whole lot of blankets. She missed his heartbeat in her ear, his breath in her hair as he slept.

She groaned as the scar on her neck became sensitive, her shirt brushing against it was almost more than she could stand.

"Something wrong, Miss Green." The teacher asked.

"No, just a crick in my neck." She said, and forced herself to think about something else.

The rest of the day crept by and she climbed onto the bus dreading the moment she would get home. Her grandparents were both acting like she was still six, her mother was worse. They watched her every move, wouldn't let her do ANTYHING that they didn't approve of and attend WITH her. It wasn't like she was going to take off and find Victor or something, although she was honestly considering it at this point.

"You're late." Her grandfather snapped as she came in the door.

"The bus was late, Grandpa." She said, carrying her backpack up to her bedroom.

Her mother was still at work, so she curled up on her bed with her homework. Her neck was still driving her insane, her body was responding – even though he was thousands of miles away. She let a small whimper escape her lips and tried to concentrate on anything but him. She looked at the nightstand and jumped. There was a voicemail on her phone.

"Mouse – you need to quit that. I couldn't think today, all I could do was think about you, and I have WORK to do." His voice was gruff, but somehow amused at the same time. "I wish I could take care of that for you, but I can't not right now. You concentrate on what you need to do, helping your mom, whatever they have you doing, I'm here. Know whenever you think about me, I feel it, and know you'll feel it when I am thinking about you – so for both of our sakes – think about SOMETHING ELSE!"

She laughed. She wasn't the only one, and that made her feel a little better. He was thinking about her. Did that mean he missed her as much as she missed him? She hoped so. Somehow her entire day looked better for hearing his voice, and she finished her homework in record time.

The rest of the evening didn't go as well, but she was able to blow it off. Her grandparents insisted she sit in the living room with them and watch television. She hated old people shows. The news was the only interesting thing she was allowed to watch. The Lycanthrope violence was getting worse in the northeast, with whole cities being controlled by or fought over by different packs. They hadn't had these problems in Dallas, but she was worried it was coming.

What bothered her most was the number of Vampire attacks in Texas. She didn't like the number of people showing up as drones, the lowest rank of Vampire. They were teaching Vampire hierarchies in school these days, it was politically correct to understand how the Vampire system worked.

Drones were the bottom of the food chain, the parent Vamp only gave them enough blood to turn them, not enough to give them power or self will. They were completely controlled by the parent Vamp. They couldn't turn anyone else, which was a good thing, but they still had to feed on human blood. Next up the chain were the parent Vampires. They could turn drones, but nothing else. They had some self will, enough to make minor decisions without being in contact with the Bride that created them. The Brides (or Grooms) were the next tier. They had almost complete self will, only obeying the orders of the Blood that created them. Bloods were high powered Vampires, usually created by a Bloodline head or a real Head. They could have a limited number of Brides, and controlled everything under the Brides they created. They were only controlled by their parent, the Bloodline head – or Head. The difference between a Bloodline head and a Head was that Bloodline heads had gathered enough power to almost splinter from the Head that created them, but were still under the direct control of the Head. Heads were IT, the top of the food chain. They reported to no one but each other, and then as equals. There were rumors of a Master Vamp, but no one had ever seen any evidence of one.

Most of the Vamps that normal people dealt with were Drones, unless they were lucky (or unlucky) enough to meet a parent. Most of the major cities had at least one Blood and his Brides who controlled the vampires in that city, sometimes two if the cities were large enough to support two Bloods. There were very few 'battles' between the Vampire Bloods, they tended to settle things behind closed doors, and without drawing the human population into the problems.

Risa's grandparents tried to keep her away from anything to do with either the Lycanthropes or Vampires; somehow they'd gotten it into their heads that she'd been with one camp or the other while she was gone. Her mother hadn't bothered to explain, and she wasn't going to try to convince them of the difference between Lycanthropes and mutants.

Her mother on the other hand was giving her fits about going to Xavier's to finish school, but they were turning away students right now, and she understood why. So many mutants were looking for safe places to go, that the KNOWN safety zones were filling up.

"I'm home." Her mother said as she opened the front door. Her uniform was wilted from a long day on the floor, and Risa knew she didn't want to talk about work, just from the look on her face.

"Amanda, Risa was five minutes late from school." Her grandfather started.

"Dad – I told you, leave her alone. She's not going anywhere, and if she does, she'll let me know."

"I don't like it. She just took off for six months…"

"No Dad and I'm not going over this again. Risa, you are packing this weekend. A friend of mine is moving out of her apartment and I took over her lease. I think it's time we both got back into our own space." Her mother said, and Risa grinned. Maybe her mother was finally going to listen – and trust her.

"Mom when are we moving?"

"Well, we can start moving in tomorrow, but with school."

"Mom call me out sick or something I'd really like to get started." She said.

"I was going to ask if you wanted me to…Dad I know you don't like the idea, but frankly, I need my own space, and so does Risa. I love you and Mom, but I'm an adult, and tired of being treated like a child again." Her mother said and Risa silently agreed with her. Her grandparents had been strict with her, but even WORSE on her mother.

Her grandfather just hrumphed and got up from the couch to go to his den. Her grandmother just nodded.

"Risa – you need to help your mother out, and not take off like that again."

"Grandma, I'm not going anywhere, okay. You have my word. I'm staying until things are settled, or until I go to college whichever is first."

"I think a nice local college will be just fine – then you can live at home." Her mother said.

"MOM!"

She glared at her mother, until she noticed the smile. She grinned back and ran up the stairs to pack.

The next morning her mother called the school and the two of them finished packing and loaded up her mother's old car.

"Mom I wish you'd let me get a car." Risa said. "I passed my test, and have my liscense.

"We can't afford it."

"MOM!"

"I am NOT taking money from that criminal – and you are NOT spending any money he sends you, am I clear. You may think you love him, but I have done some checking, he's a murderer, a rapist, a thief, and that's just in the last DECADE!"

"Mom, please."

"NO! And that's final." She groaned – and mentally counted the money she had stashed in her bag. She still had the original fifty thousand, plus the three thousand a month he'd been sending for the last six months. If she just kept stashing it, she wouldn't need to borrow anything for college. She'd called Mr. Franklin last month and told him the situation. He'd set up a post office box that she had access to, and was sending the money there. She'd tried to tell him to quit, but he'd insisted Victor was very clear; the only one who could stop it was Mr. Creed. She just kept packing the envelopes into the backpack, and hoping she could change her mother's mind.

The new apartment was small, just two bedrooms and a small living and combined kitchen dining area, but it was theirs, and without her grandparents always watching Risa felt like she could finally relax. She sent Victor a text message giving him the new address, and called Mr. Franklin when her mother went to work that evening. She kept trying to find a way to deal with the car issue.

Saturday morning dawned bright, but not as bright as the two new vehicles sitting in the parking spaces for the apartment. The keys were taped to the door, with the simple instructions, 'Use them or they will sit there and rot, Victor." Her mother groaned – but put the key to the blue SUV on her key chain. They were already tagged, and the insurance papers, paid for six months were in the glove box of both vehicles. The titles were in her mother's name, with Risa as an authorized driver.

Risa had to grin when she saw the truck he'd bought for her. It wasn't flashy, but it was NEW. She opened the door to climb behind the wheel and his scent assaulted her. He'd been IN the truck. She could smell him. She glanced around, the scent driving her insane. She finally found the source, one of his old leather shirts tucked under the driver's seat. She grinned, and slipped it into the apartment when her mother wasn't looking. She wrapped her pillow in it and then put the pillow case back on.

"Risa – we need to talk." Her mother said as she came back into the living room.

"Mom."

"How much money has he given you?"

"About sixty eight thousand dollars."

'WHAT!"

"Well he gave me fifty to start with, and three thousand a month for the last six months that YOU wouldn't let me spend."

"Well, with the fifteen thousand dollar hospital bill, the attorney's fees, and now THIS to deal with…" She threw a piece of paper on the table. "I think I am going to have to go to bed with the devil and accept his help."

"Ummm – Mom, no offense, but that's my job – at least the go to bed with part." Her mother just glared. Risa picked up the papers from the table. It was a lawsuit. Her father was suing her mother for slander and libel, claiming that the entire abuse charge was false, that her mother was having an affair with 'person or persons' unknown, and he was demanding two million dollars in restitution.

"Dad's an IDIOT, Mom. This will get thrown out in court."

"I know that – but not if I don't let your Sabretooth pay for an attorney to handle it."

"Mom, he'll take care of it."

"I don't like having to depend on him. I don't TRUST him. He used you, he…"

"MOM – I love him, okay. I know I'm only sixteen, I know you don't think I know what that means, but I do. It's not going to stop, it's not going to go away, and it's not going to END. He's going to be in my life for the rest of my life, and because you are my mom, he wants to take care of you too. That's the way he is. Besides you don't want to give up that new car."

"Well, the old one was more trouble than it was worth, I will admit that." Her mom just dropped onto the old couch that her mom's friend had left in the apartment for them. "Why can't you find a nice boy to go out with? What's wrong with Matt?"

"MOM! Enough. I'm not dating someone else. I don't WANT to date anyone. I…they are all KIDS. I am so sick of all the kid shit going on at school it isn't funny. I mean – really – what use is all this crap, homecoming, prom, graduation…it doesn't mean a damned thing when you get out into the real world."

"True." Her mother said. "But it's supposed to be fun, rites of passage."

"Well, no offense, but I have better things to do, which reminds me I'm late for my Karate class." One thing she had screamed, yelled, ranted, raved and FORCED everyone to give in on was taking some self defense classes. She was taking Karate, Tai Chi, Taekwando and Judo at the moment. She wasn't going to be helpless, her mutation gave her instincts, and now she was determined to train them so that when the time came, she could be more than just a liability to him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He chuckled at the note from Franklin. Her mother was finally accepting his help. He'd suggested the cars himself, even sent the shirt to hide in Risa's. She needed a physical reminder of who she belonged to. Not that the damned mark wasn't enough sometimes. He wondered just how many times a day she could think of him – it drove him insane. He could be working – mind on nothing but what was in front of him, and suddenly he could smell her, the scar would get all sensitive, and his mind would replay some very nice moments. He usually shook it off, but Thursday had been so bad he'd had to call her phone to tell her to quit.

He'd been spending time with Bruce and his pack. He'd actually learned more about this strange thing between him and Risa, there were parts he liked, and parts he didn't. He liked that he didn't have to check on her physically to know how she was doing, just thinking about her gave him a sense of her, not really telepathic, but just a sense that she was alright. He didn't like that whenever he was in pain, particularly if someone damaged the scar area she would feel it, and know he was hurt. He didn't want her to worry about him; she had her mother to deal with. He liked that it was permanent, like he'd suspected, but there were parts of that he didn't like as well. She wouldn't ever be able to form an emotional attachment to any other man, but that wouldn't stop her from actually having sex with anyone else, something he hated the thought of. He'd rip the arms off anyone who touched her and beat him with the bloody stumps. Of course that went both ways. He could fool around all he wanted, but it would just be killing time until she was ready for him, and he had a strange feeling the whole arms and stumps thing went both ways.

One of the female alphas was trying to get his attention, but he just wasn't interested.

"Come on, Sabretooth. Just because you have a mate, doesn't mean you can't fuck what you want." She said, purring softly, her feline characteristics evident even in human form.

"True – I can fuck what I want – and that ain't you." He snapped. She growled low, but backed off.

"Be careful, Creed. Damia can be quite vicious when she wants to be." Bruce laughed, his voice booming in the bar.

"I don't give a shit – she ain't my type."

"What – from what I've heard, as long as it's female and breathing when you start it's your type."

"Not true. I don't like my frails that bold, I like to TAKE what I want, I don't like the easy way."

Bruce's booming laugh echoed through the bar again.

"Vashid wanted to thank you the Betas you sent in were quite skilled. He was able to move into several business ventures he didn't have the skill sets for. Even some of the omegas were useful."

"Omegas?"

"They are lower than Betas in the packs. They are basically useless, only needed to swell our numbers in times of conflict. About half of what you sent over were Omegas, what you would call cannon fodder."

"Oh." He pulled a long swallow on his beer. The alliance with the Lycanthropes was working out well. Several of the Canadian Pack leaders were forming alliances against the packs in the States, and they had all voted Bruce the head of the coalition. He'd accepted Magneto's offer of mutual assistance, and Victor was the liaison between the two camps. The Vampire alliance still hadn't panned out yet. The Bear hadn't sent anyone to negotiate, and Vashid said she was still watching the situation closely.

Vashid had been a huge help, and Victor was close to something he'd rarely done, calling the man a friend. He'd trust the Vamp with his back, at least as long as their mutual interests were being served, which, except for Risa, was as close as he would come to calling anyone a friend. He winced at the thought of his mate – and the corresponding ache in his neck. She was doing SOMETHING that was making the scar hurt, but he didn't sense any danger around her so he tried to ignore it.

"She's punishing you?" Bruce said a knowing grin on his face as he massaged the mark he wore on his chest. His mate was as large as he was, and just as fierce. Victor met her a couple nights ago, when Bruce had missed their anniversary, and she'd come in and dragged the bear of a man out of the bar by his ear. The entire bar had laughed the rest of the night at the Pack leader's expense.

"No – I don't think she even knows I can feel it." He twisted his neck, trying to ease the ache. "This feels more like she pulled a muscle or something."

"Perhaps she's working out."

"Maybe – I think my attorney said something about some self defense classes she's taking."

"You never cease to amaze me, Mr. Creed. You send your mate away, into danger as if she is unimportant to you, and yet keep such close tabs on her. You place yourself in harms way to protect people not of your own kind, and yet are known to be one of the fiercest and most merciless killers on the planet. You kill without remorse, without thought for the lives you destroy, and yet you are taking in families, not even mutants, so that their lives will not be destroyed. You are a dichotomy."

"And you are talking like a professor." He grinned. "I need to get back to the camp."

"Good night, Mr. Creed."

Victor stood up and walked out the door. The Ursine Lycanthrope was right, he was being pulled in two different directions, and he didn't know which one was going to win.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (8/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Victor glared at the door from his place standing behind Magneto's shoulder. They'd waited almost two years for this meeting. Finally The Bear had arranged a meeting, to discuss the continuing issues with Vampires and Lycanthropes in the United States. The Canadian government had given their camp refugee status, as well as financial and material support, but they were still growing faster than their supply lines could keep up with. Already, the camp was the size of a small town, twenty five hundred living there as of this morning's count, and at least three hundred waiting in a separate camp for processing.

Mystique was sitting next to Mags, Victor and Toad were standing behind them, Bruce and another Lycanthrope Pack Leader, Michelle, a rare equine Lycanthrope, were sitting at another table, with guards standing behind. Bruce had suggested the layout of the room, the show of strength. Victor didn't like this, didn't like the layout, and didn't like the arrangements. The ONLY thing that had him still standing here was the fact that Vashid was the other Vamp at the table, and the arrangement and friendship between his group and the Mutant community had grown over the last two years.

The door opened and three women with flowing red hair and pale skin entered, followed by a veiled figure. He could tell it was a woman, but other than the fact that she smelled dead, VERY dead, which in his experience meant she was older than he was, he couldn't get a good scent to help identify her later.

She walked to the table, and Vashid stood, and bowed, Bruce and Michelle also stood and bowed, Magneto and Mystique stood, but remained upright.

"Pride is the downfall of all races, Mr. Lensherr." Said a cultured woman's voice, with a soft Middle Eastern accent.

"I bow to no one." Erik said.

"With your history, I can certainly understand that. Your people have caused a great deal of difficulty over the centuries, with their refusal to bow." The woman lifted her veil revealing a rather unique and memorable face. Her hawk nose was strong and dominant, her chin a little weak. Her skin was pale under the olive tones, and her hair was braided into a hood of evenly spaced braids, almost like an ancient Egyptian headdress. Her bright blue eyes screamed age and intelligence, and even Victor had an urge to bow to this woman. Power rolled off of her and consumed the room.

"Mr. Creed, I see recognition in your eyes." She smiled, and he suddenly knew just how this woman had nearly destroyed an empire – before she'd ever joined the ranks of the undead.

"The Ptolemy have always had my respect." He said quietly. "I wonder how you of all people came to be known as The Bear."

She laughed a laugh that had once ensnared Caesar himself, and took her place at the table.

"That is a long story, and perhaps suited for another time. I look forward to spending time talking with you, Mr. Creed. Let us begin."

Time hadn't dulled her mind, or her ruthlessness. The alliance itself was easy to agree to; it was the terms of contact with the States that caused issues.

"I will not send any of my Blood into Fountain's territory. I understand that the Mutants cross freely and that there are many still in the United States, but if they leave the borders of my territory, I cannot protect them. Fountain will not cross into my territory. He does not dare cross me."

"I can understand your reticence to enter his territory…" Erik said.

"It isn't reticence, Mr. Lensherr, it is prudence. The world has been divided into territories for the Vampire Heads. To enter into another Head's territory is to invoke war, and a Vampire war is not something you Mutants want to be involved in." Her eyes were hard. "The division of North and South America is not something that was an easy decision to reach. For centuries it was Europe and Asia that were our battle grounds, the Americas belonged to the Mammoth, but the last few centuries have changed our thought processes. Mammoth wasn't pleased with losing North and Central America and being confined to South America only, but it was a universal decision, even he saw the wisdom of it. Fountain and I have had our difficulties, but we at least respect each other enough to avoid the other's territory. I do not want an all out war with him. Leonidas made the mistake of raising his wrath, and I am no Leonidas."

Victor chuckled. Toad just looked puzzled, and both Magneto and Mystique nodded in agreement with the ancient Vampire. The debate continued, but in the end it was decided that any Mutants who made it across the Canadian border fell under the Bear's protection, and she would make sure Fountain knew of this. Any Mutants who crossed back into the States would forsake her protection while in the other Head's territory. Victor tried to suppress his cringe, Risa was in the States, but her identity wasn't known, and she should be safe – for now.

The meeting dissolved quickly after the decision was reached.

"Mr. Creed – I look forward to a personal meeting with you." She gave him that winning smile, and he started to smile in return when the pain hit. It dropped him to his knees. It was as if something or someone was driving a hot poker into the mark on his neck, and he knew Risa was in danger.

XXXXXXXXXXX

She groaned, if she'd known these damned books would be this heavy she wouldn't have taken the damned class. It didn't help that it was halfway across the campus from where she had to park her truck, and that she had to have every single book every time the class met. Why was she taking Ancient Every Day Life again? Oh yeah, Matt talked her into it. And a night class at that.

Risa hated this class. It wasn't that it was boring, it wasn't, but it mostly ignored all the history that went on, and looked at what they ate, how they slept, when they went to temple services, marriage rites, all the things you wonder about in history class, but were afraid to ask. Matt was eating it up; he was fascinated with the Persian Empire and the rule of Xerxes the first. She frankly couldn't care less; she was more interested in Egypt under the Roman occupation, but even THAT wasn't holding her attention.

It didn't help that she STILL missed Victor terribly after two years away from him. She still dreamed about him every night, still slept with his shirt on her pillow, although the scent was starting to fade. She was tired of her lonely bed, tired of her mother finding reason after reason for her to stay instead of going back to him. She needed him. He'd called exactly three times in the two years they'd been apart. Two times had been to tell her to think about something else – and she'd laughed both times. The third had been to let her know he was going to be out of contact for a while, he was working on something with Magneto, and to just leave a message if she needed him.

She'd actually talked to him the third time, and it hadn't eased the ache in her chest – or her neck. The scar was another sore point, it didn't go away, it didn't fade, and it didn't lose any sensitivity, but only if SHE touched it, or Victor, but it had been so long, she was beginning to think she'd imagined his touch. It was frustrating to say the least. She quickly tried to turn her mind to another subject.

There had been several Vampire attacks in Dallas recently and she was watching out, she knew SHE wasn't in any real danger, but Matt hadn't returned any calls in a week and she was getting worried. Their senior year he'd been her friend – she'd known he wanted more, but he seemed content, at least until Prom. He'd kissed her, after the dance, but it had been so juvenile, and so childlike she'd actually laughed. She'd been thinking that must have been what Victor had thought of her the first time he kissed her, and it struck her as funny. Matt hadn't taken it that way. He'd been furious. She'd tried to explain that she wasn't laughing at him, but he'd just stormed off.

It had taken him months to forgive her, and he still wasn't completely comfortable around her all the time. She'd broken down and told him about Victor - not everything - but enough that Matt had backed off romantically and they'd been able to continue their friendship. He still didn't understand about her mutation, and didn't seem to want to try.

She wasn't comfortable walking across campus, and she almost turned around and decided to ditch this class when she saw Matt waiting for her in the shadow of the next building. She smiled and waved and sped up to catch up with him.

"Hey, where have you been? I've been calling all week."

"Yeah – I was busy, stuff I had to do." He said evasively. She shrugged and he fell into step beside her. "So what are you doing after class tonight?"

"Going home – doing more homework for Comp one and trying to forget about this class."

"It's not that bad." He grinned and the light was playing tricks because his teeth looked longer.

"Are you sure you are alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine, and you will be too, soon." He turned and lunged at her, his hands gripping her throat with a strength she wasn't expecting. Suddenly several things clicked and she realized he'd been turned. She struggled against him, remembering the few lessons Victor had given her for dealing with an opponent that was unnaturally stronger than they appeared. She broke his grip on her throat, his fingernails scraping across the back of her neck as she ducked under his arm and threw a kick right into the small of his back. It sent him off balance and right into a wall, but he just turned and lunged at her again.

Either he'd forgotten all the self defense classes she'd been taking, or something had scrambled his brain when he became undead, but she easily evaded this grasp again and sent him flying into another wall. He turned, snarling and she remembered what someone had said about Vampires and their strength. It was like an addict, they didn't KNOW they couldn't do something, so they just did it, but there was a limit. If you did enough damage, they had to feed to repair their body. She just hoped she could slam him around enough to get him worn down, as she ducked another awkward lunge. He managed to get in behind her, and she felt his teeth clamp down on her shoulder – right on her scar. She screamed, the pain was searing, and somehow she had almost an afterimage across her eyelids, almost like after a bright flash from a camera, but this was a room with Magneto and Mystique and Toad, and Victor was on the ground clutching his neck and writhing in pain.

"You bitch – you will be MINE now." Matt hissed in her ear. She could smell blood on his breath – and not just her own. Some of it was days old, and she knew, suddenly who'd been behind the attacks the last few days. She had to stop him. He was killing people. She managed to let her body go slack, something he wasn't expecting and she slipped out of his grip, and came up with a kick to his midsection that knocked him back into one of the bushes along the path.

He was getting to his feet, snarling at her when out of nowhere a huge metal blade came sweeping in, and his head rolled on the path in front of her. She just stood there in shock for a second, and then turned to gape at the vision that stepped out of the shadows.

He wasn't as big as Victor but he was huge, and massively built. He had to be, that blade he carried was at least five feet long, and that didn't include the hilt. He was dressed in jeans and a black tee, with, strangely, a sprig of heather pinned to the front. His long red hair curled almost in ringlets in a pony tail that had been thrown over one shoulder. His blue eyes flashed, taking in every shadow before turning to her.

"You a'righ't?" He said, a thick Scottish brogue making it almost hard for her to understand what he said.

"Yeah – Who the HELL are you?"

"The names Angus, Angus MacDonnell." He reached back and slid the huge sword into some sort of carrier across his back and then reached into his front jeans pocket and handed her a card. **Angus MacDonnell, Bounty Hunter**.

"Bounty Hunter?"

"I hunt Vamps that break the law, like you're friend here." His brogue settled down into a more Americanized tone.

"Matt?"

"Matthew Regen, wanted for five counts of murder in the last three days. You'd 'ave been number six."

"No…I'm a mutant, healer. He couldn't have killed me."

"REALLY!" He looked at her strangely.

"Yeah, really."

"Ye look like a Lycanthrope ta me, lass?"

"What? No, I told you, I'm a mutant. I'm immune to both viruses." She said.

"I saw the mate mark, assumed you were Lycan."

"No – just feral."

"Feral?"

"It's a type of mutant." Suddenly the situation hit her as both gruesome and ludicrous at the same time. Here they were arguing over her status, with the body of her best friend lying, headless on the ground between them. "Why'd you cut his head off?"

"That's how ya kill a Vamp, lassie."

"Really?" She was already trying to figure out if Victor would get a text message wherever he was.

"You're really not Lycan?"

"Really – I'll be glad to go in for a blood test to prove it." She said.

"No need." He said – just as the full moon came out from behind a cloud, bathing her in it's silver glow. "You're not changin'."

"Gee – thanks." She glared at the man. "So now what?"

"A wee bit of thanks might be in order. I did save ya."

"That's debatable."

"Well – you were doin' pretty good – for a lass."

"Fuck you too."

"Ahh – If only…" He let out a laugh, and she found herself laughing with him. She didn't understand the scent coming from him. He was alive, but old – older than anything or anyone she'd ever encountered – including Victor.

"Tell you what – I'm lookin' for a partner, someone that can take on Vamps and Lycans withoot bein' turned, and who can handle themselves in a scrap. Ya seem ta fit the bill. Give me a call, if ya decide this schoolin' ain't yer cup o' tea."

She watched him pick up Matt's body and head, and then fade into the shadows. That's when it hit her. Matt was dead. She just dropped to the ground for a second and stared at the small puddle of blood that was the only evidence of what had just happened. This was the second time she'd witnessed a decapitation, and for some reason, neither time had brought much horror.

She was startled by a vibration from her backpack and she reached back for her cell phone – not the one Victor had given her, but the one she'd gotten here. It wasn't vibrating, but the small black one next to it was.

"RISA!"

"Victor."

"Thank God, are you alright?"

"Yeah – My friend Matt turned Vamp and attacked me, but it's all over now."

"That's it; I'm coming to get you."

"No – actually I met this guy…"

"RISA!"

"Not like that, idiot." Somehow it was easier to talk back to him with him thousands of miles away. "He's offered me a job."

"Doing what?"

"Killing Vampires."

"WHAT!?"

"Vic – I need something…something I can do not only with my head but with my body. It's WEIRD, but I felt more alive fighting with Matt than I have since I left the camp." She knew he'd understand. "The classes, they just don't do enough to make the rage go away."

"Yeah." He sounded almost defeated. "You really want to do this?"

"I'm going to think about it. Look into it. See if it is legit, and legal."

"Damn it, Risa – I don't want you to turn out like me."

"Well – if I'm hunting Vamps I'm not killing anyone, they are already dead." She heard him groan on the other end of the line.

"Risa, I'm coming to get you, as soon as I can. I don't like this."

"Victor, you can't stop me."

"Like hell I can't…."

"Like HELL you CAN! I am not you property to order around."

"Oh yes you are!"

"No. If I WANT to do this, I'll do it, and you can't stop me." She felt a sudden surge of need burst through her and knew suddenly that he was the cause – him and the scar she'd given him. "That won't work."

"Remember how good I feel inside you, Mouse…you don't want to give that up."

"It's been two years, Victor. What makes you think I remember – or want to." She snapped back.

"Really?" She could hear the anger building in his voice, and suddenly she was afraid she might actually lose him over this.

"No…of course I do. I miss you, but I want…need to do something for me, to find my own way of dealing with things – things you've had over a century to deal with." She heard his low growl, and felt another surge of need, this time less intense and more of a reminder of his presence.

"You do what you have to do, but if I show up on your doorstep, you better pack and be ready to go in five minutes."

"I keep a bag packed at all times, Lover."

"That's nice to know. Now go home, get some rest, and whatever you do, don't let a fucking Vamp bite you in the neck again, that FUCKING HURT!"

She chuckled as he hung up the phone. She still needed him, and knew she wouldn't get much rest tonight; she'd be frustrated and tied in knots needing a body that just wasn't there. She'd forgotten to ask him for another shirt, too, and with his scent fading it was harder and harder to sleep at night as well.

She dialed his number and was pleased by his growl on the other end.

"I thought I told…"

"Hey – you just gonna leave me hanging like this?"

"Serves you right?"

"I'll remember that – and if you actually want me to get some sleep, pack another shirt or something down here – I'll turn it into a teddy bear." He let out a deep rumbling laugh and hung up the phone. She didn't doubt there would be a FedEx delivery tomorrow – with another of his old shirts. She grinned and then looked at the heavy backpack. She groaned and hefted it onto her back and trudged back to the parking lot.

It wasn't until she climbed into the cab of the truck that everything hit her, and she just crossed her arms on the steering wheel and let the wave of emotions crash over her. Matt – her best friend from childhood had attacked her – tried to kill her, or worse, she'd watched him be killed by someone else, and his body carted off, and she hadn't done anything – should she call the police? She didn't know. She just started the truck and started to drive home. She was too cold and too tired to think. A hot bath and a good night's sleep were what she needed now.

She woke up the next morning in front of the apartment in the passenger seat of her truck. She didn't remember getting there; she didn't remember anything after pulling out of the parking lot of the college. She climbed out of the truck and walked around it, looking for any signs of damage. She was afraid – she'd never blacked out like that before, not even dealing with Predator. She shivered and grabbed her backpack. The battery on the phone he'd given her was dead. She quietly slipped into her room and plugged it into the charger. There were three messages.

"Risa – are you alright, you are cold, get someplace warm, and answer your damned phone."

"Risa I'm coming to get you. I don't need this crap."

"Risa – you are in shock, get someplace safe and wait, I'll get someone there to take care of you. Baby, Mouse, please don't do anything stupid."

"De Tooth, he send me here to check on you, Chere." Said a voice from the bed.

"What?"

"You drove off de road. I foun' you, drove you home. What happen?"

"I…saw someone killed last night."

"It was on de news – de Vamp killer was caught by some MacDonnell guy, his head was turned in dis mornin' at de police station."

"How'd you get in here?"

"Gambit know a ting or two 'bout locks, non?" He grinned at her. This was the second time he'd been there when she was in a crisis. She didn't know him, but somehow she knew Victor trusted him – so she could.

"Thank you. And tell him thank you."

"He'da come himself but dey can' spare him right now. Dat man was crazy when he call me. He jes lucky dat we had some business down dis way. Now if you don' min' I got me a Chere of my own to try to get back good wid." He opened the window of her bedroom and climbed out. "By de way – he won' say it, but Creed's crazy 'bout you. Worse dan me and dat Rogue I love."

She smiled as he ducked out of sight behind the privacy shrub, and she just dropped onto the bed, exhausted.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (9/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The office was cluttered with junk, and she wondered again about the wisdom of actually taking him up on the offer. He'd been right – about school, and it not being what she needed, and after her argument with Victor, she'd decided to give it a chance.

"Well, lassie, didn't think I'd be seein ya again." He said as he came out of a door in the back of the office.

"I thought about what you said – and after the memorial, well I wanted to at least say thank you. I mean, poor Matt, I don't think he knew what he was getting into. I had no idea he was that..."

"Obsessed wid ye."

"No...stupid, to allow himself to be turned." Risa glared at the big Scot

"Well, there's no denyin' the stupidity." He said as he cleared off a chair for her to sit in.

"From what you said the other night, I guess you don't know much about mutants?"

"Not really – I've been huntin vamps for a long time – far longer than ye might think – and well the furry bunnies are jest a natural outlet from that. But I'm more interested in ye."

"I told you, I'm a mutant..."

"Is that all ye are? Ye seem ta be a right bonnie lass..."

"I'm kinda taken...that's what Matt's problem was...he didn't like that I just am not interested."

"Not interested – as in yer mate don't let ye?"

"He's never said anything about it...he's not around, and probably won't be for a long time. I just am not interested in boys."

"But lass – I ain't no boy." He moved smoothly across the room, but it still seemed almost jerky and false. He just couldn't move with Victor's natural grace. She couldn't help it. She laughed.

"And what's so funny, lass."

"It's Risa – and sorry but, you just..." She kept chuckling, and suddenly he started laughing with her.

"I'm jest not yer type?" He said.

"Yeah." She chuckled.

"So what is your type?"

"BIGGER!" She laughed out loud.

"Not many bigger than me."

"Vic is."

"Vic?"

"My guy."

"The one that gave you that mark?"

"Yeah."

"Well a guy can hope."

"No...I don't think I've ever seen ANYTHING to compare to Vic."

"Well – the man can't live forever, even if he's a lycanthrope."

"He's no lycan he's like me, Mutant."

"So..." He seemed to relax, and go back to his desk, propping his feet up after he sat down. "tell me about this 'mutant' thing."

"Well, we are born genetically different. Some of us have different abilities. I know Vic says I'm in the same class he is, which is a class four or five feral."

"What's the difference – feral or lycan?"

"Well – from what I've been able to figure out, lycan's got that way by being bit – we're born this way. Our abilities develop slowly over time – I was eleven when my fangs started growing, my claws started itching and I was able to extend them by the time I was fifteen. I met Vic then, and he kinda walked me through the rest of the mutation waking up, my senses getting sharper, my healing factor becoming fully active, and of course whatever this scar mess is."

"Scar mess? How'd ya get it?"

"Now that would be telling – and I don't kiss and tell."

"Well now..." He grinned.

"I actually gave him his first, It was a bad mess, a group from New York was making it dangerous for underage girls in the camp so we stuck together, I went to Vic for protection, and got mad at him one morning after breakfast. He'd just ignored me, so I got pissed – and attacked him. Got a good claw into his back, and my teeth into his neck...and he wasn't too pissed, and later he gave me an interesting lesson – and my own scar."

"Well – you said you're immune? What's that?"

"Well, a scientist that came into camp said that the X gene, which is what makes us mutant, makes us immune to the viruses that cause Vamps and Lycans."

"Ye mean ye can't be turned – at all?"

"Not that I've ever heard of."

"That'd make you a right useful partner. What's that healin' factor ye mentioned?"

"I can heal most damage I take, I haven't taken a whole bunch, even Matt's bite healed before I'd shaken him off. The ONLY scar I have is the one Vic gave me."

"And he's like you?"

"Yeah."

"And the only scar he has is the one you gave him?" Angus leered at her.

"Yeah – it is, I have it on GOOD authority."

He laughed.

"Alright – ye start tomorrow, if ye still want the job."

"You might tell me about the job." Risa laughed.

"Right – I go to the courthouse once a week or so, pick up the orders on the Vamps. Track 'em down, make sure ye get the right one, then off with the head, and on to the next job."

"Off with the head – you make it sound so simple. I don't know how to use a sword, and I'm not sure I want to learn."

"Well – there's a lot of smaller blades ye can learn lass." Angus grinned.

"Like...?"

"Try this for feel." He handed her a curved blade about eighteen inches long, edged on one side, with a wooden hilt and very little cross guard. It felt good in her hand, well balanced, and the hilt wasn't too thick to grip in her small hands.

"What is it?"

"A Khurkri."

"I like it."

"You keep that one...tomorrow we'll get the orders for the week, and you can start learning the ropes."

"Can I ask YOU a few questions?" She grinned.

"Of course..."

"You smell old, older even than Vic...if you aren't Mutant, Vamp or Lycanthrope, how can you be that old?"

"What do you mean, smell?"

"You SMELL old...Vic's the oldest person I know, and you smell older than him."

"And how old is this Vic of yours?"

"About one hundred and sixty years."

"Lass, that's impossible, and not be a Vamp." His eyes were wary.

"It's the healing factor."

"Are there more mutants like you?"

"I know of one other with as strong a healing factor, he goes by Wolverine."

"I've heard of him..."

"Yeah – he and Vic aren't exactly friends, but they're about the same age, from what Vic said." Risa remembered the one time he'd ever mentioned Wolverine.

_"Are we the only ones?" Risa asked, her head resting on his chest. He'd dragged her to the bed, but they were both dressed. For some reason he'd just wanted her against him. She didn't argue, he was so warm, and with the cold weather, she accepted every moment of warmth he was willing to give._

_"No – there's one more that I know of...the Runt."  
_

_"Who's the Runt?"_

_"Wolverine." He was staring up at the canvas over their heads, and his arm tightened around her. "You stay the hell away from him...I don't trust him, at least not with any frail of mine. I've fucked too many of his. He's about ten years younger than me – and always been a pain in my side."_

_"Do you think he'd hurt me?"_

_"No – but he'd find a way to take ya away, not somethin' I'll ever allow." He snarled._

"So there's only three of ye?"

"That I know of. I'm the only female, I think."

"Interestin..."

"So..."

"I was born a long time ago."

"I got that..."

He laughed.

"I had me a lassie – much like you, beautiful, bright, with a smile that could part the clouds on a highlands winter day. I love my lass, my wife, but a rival clan kidnapped her, threatened ta kill her if I din'a look the other way on watch, they told me it was a cattle raid, no one would be hurt, and they'd let me lassie go. They lied, all the way around. Me lassie's lifeless body was dropped at my feet as they left, the clan fortress in flames, the laird dead, his son dead, his daughter carted off ta be forced inta marriage with the laird of the other clan. Our priest, with his dying breath cursed me, ta never know God's blessings, God's peace, God's love, and God's gifts."

"What does that mean?" Risa asked.

"I can'a die, I can'a know a woman's love, and I can'a know the love of me own child."

"That's sad." She said.

"Well, I spent many years wailin' me fate, and then I started travelin' the world. 'Bout three hundred years ago, I came across me first Vamp. It wasn't pretty, but I was able ta give that undead monster somethin' I wasn'a able ta have, God's peace. I vowed then ta give every one I found the peace I couldn'a have."

"And now you do it for the court?"

"I take the bounties, it's not like there's not enough of the buggers breakin' the laws."

"Is it good money?"

"Depends on the bounty, most are 'bout ten grand, for every kill, I'll cut ye in fer twenty percent, as an apprentice."

"Twenty percent?"

"Of each kill ye help with, if ye take solo kills, ye get fifty percent."

"No – thirty percent for each kill I help with, seventy percent for my own kills."

"Lass – I've got overhead, office rent, supplies..."

"Yeah – right..." Risa grinned at him.

"I can do a twenty-five, sixty-five split, best I can offer."

"I'll take it." She grinned. "How many kills per week?"

"I've been averaging four to five per week."

Ten grand a week – plus the three grand Vic was still sending, she and her mom could be comfortable, very comfortable.

"You have yer'self a deal, Lassie." He held out his large hand, and she took it. She was looking forward to learning the tricks of the trade.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Victor glared at the boy huddled in front of him.

"What do you want, Predator?"

"I've got a message...for you." The weaker feral snarled at Creed.

"Then SPILL and get the FUCK out of my camp." Victor snarled back, restraining the urge to kick him again. He'd caught the piece of shit sneaking around the processing camp. Predator had been stupid enough to run when he'd been caught, and Victor had enjoyed the chase.

The resulting fight had been satisfactory, he'd ripped into the boy that had tried to take his mate, leaving him bloody and cowering at his feet.

"Fountain would like to speak with you...he has information that you will find quite interesting."

"I ain't got nothin' ta say to him."

"He knows about you – your healing, he knows The Bear is courting you, trying to steal you for herself. He can prove she's only using you."

"You are a FOOL Predator, go back to your master and tell him to keep his lackeys away from my camps." Victor didn't restrain himself any longer, giving the feral a kick to his kidney, before turning away.

"You will regret this, Creed. He's watching you, your every move. If you don't agree to meet with him soon – he'll go for easier prey."

"Don't threaten me – or MINE!" Victor roared, turning and slashing the boy across the face with his claws. He snarled as the boy cringed, covered his face and ran into the forest. Victor let the boy slink off to lick his wounds. He needed to check on Risa.

He called Franklin.

"She's been working with a man by the name of Angus McDonnell. She's been working for him for about a week" The lawyer said.

"Has anyone asked any questions about Risa or the money you send her?"

"No, Mr. Creed."

"Let me know if anyone, particularly Vampires start making inquiries. I don't want her falling into the wrong hands."

"Is she in any danger, should I warn her?"

"No – not now, let her play her little 'vampire slayer' game for a while. It'll be good training for later; just keep me informed, and if there is any sign of danger call me immediately, I'll come and get her."

"Yes, Mr. Creed." The lawyer hung up the phone and Victor walked back to the main camp. Predator was working for Fountain, that wasn't good news. The boy's healing wasn't any where near Victor's league, and he didn't know much more than that Risa had the same external traits. They'd managed to keep her healing factor quiet, and he'd made sure no one knew she was on his level. He didn't want her becoming a target – especially of Vampire attentions.

Predator hadn't been completely wrong, The Bear had been courting him, offered to make him her consort. He'd refused politely, as politely as you could refuse a woman of her charm and influence. She hadn't been happy, the last time, but he'd explained to her about waiting for his mate to grow up, to be the mate he needed, and she'd seemed to understand. The alliance was in danger with his refusals, and he was seriously considering just fucking the cold bitch to make her happy. The only problem he had, he just wasn't interested in her, not that way.

He wasn't going to put himself into Fountain's hands – not unless Risa was in danger.

The camp was quiet, and he slipped into his lonely tent. He snarled and dropped onto his lonely bed. He didn't miss the kid, she would be nice to have around, but he didn't miss her, didn't need her body next to him, didn't need her mouth on his, her hands stroking down his body, her soft breath against his neck, her gentle lips on the scar on his neck. He groaned as his body responded to the thought – and to his fingers brushing the scar. He needed her – he was only lying to himself. He needed her every second of every day, and he knew she wasn't ready. She was old enough – legally – now, but she still had her lessons to learn. Maybe this vampire hunting thing would be what she needed – what he needed for her, so that she wasn't a burden, but a helpmate.


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (10/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

She was relaxing. The back office had his and hers showers and she just let the hot water wash the blood off her body and clothes. She'd started wearing treated leather, she'd actually cut down Victor's old shirt, the first one he'd sent, for her working clothes, and made a trip up to Oklahoma to one of the tribes up there to get a good pair of leather pants made. The modern treatments just didn't work as well. She was lucky, the pants were buffalo hide, and would stand up to a whole lot of abuse. The second shirt he'd sent, she'd cut down and made into a jacket, for cold weather work. She was on the third shirt, and his scent was fading again. She'd sent a text message a week ago, but he hadn't replied. She was actually starting to get worried about him.

She stripped out of the wet leather and hung it to dry. She was going to have to retreat it, and Angus was going to moan and complain about the smell, but she didn't care. The leathers worked, and cut down on the cost of her wardrobe. It had taken her two months of throwing away clothes to figure it out. Vampire blood NEVER came out of fabric. She was still trying to convince Angus to switch, but he was about as stubborn as a…well as a Scott. She'd been working with him for almost three years now, her twenty first birthday was fast approaching, and she wondered if Victor would remember this year.

She pulled on clean clothes. She always had a change at the office but she noticed the stash was getting low. She was going to have to do some laundry and bring some things back.

"RISA! Ye have a visitor." Angus yelled from the outer office. She took a quick scent and grinned. Gambit, what the hell was he doing here?

"Well – you son of a gun" she said as she pulled her shirt over her head and walked into the office, pulling her still damp hair from the collar "what are you doing here, did your girl finally get smart and kick you out?"

"No, Chere." His red and black eyes sent a shiver of alarm through her.

"What is it, Gambit?"

"We cain't fin' him."

"What?"

"It like he' dropped off de face of de Earth, even Xavier can' fin him." She just stared at him.

"He's still alive." She said reaching for her neck. She needed the reassurance of the ridges of the scar to believe it.

"Dat's why I came to you – you'd know for certain, Chere."

"He's alive. I sent him a message about a week ago, but he hasn't responded." She said.

"De las' time anyone saw him was about two week ago. He was goin' to meet with the Lycan's an never showed up." NOW she was really worried.

"Keep me informed, Gambit. I want to know where he is."

"I will."

The part time X-Man walked out the door, and she just dropped into the chair behind her desk. Angus looked over at her.

"Was that who I think it was, lass?"

"Yeah – Gambit of the X-Men."

"You run with a strange crowd." He muttered.

"He's nothing; I lived with the Brotherhood for a while." She laughed. This was the first time in three years he'd really asked about her background.

"You really met Magneto?"

"Not exactly – saw him a time or two. I've met Toad, Vic of course, and Mystique once."

"Vic – WAIT a minute, VICTOR CREED'S your mate? Sabretooth?"

"Yeah." She grinned, and felt it fade. He was missing, Victor was missing and she had NO clue where he was. She hadn't even felt a twinge from the scar, and that was the most frightening part of all.

"Lass, I'll help ya find him, but…I've heard rumors, from the Vamp side of things, that he's been cattin' around with The Bear up in Canada…and more than just an occasional thing. If I'da known he was yer man, I'da said somethin' sooner."

"He's FUCKING a God DAMNED VAMP!" She roared – a roar that would do him proud. "I'll cut it off and FEED it to him, that lousy son of a bitch."

"Now lass, it's just a rumor…." Angus said.

"He's gonna think RUMOR!" She snarled, and remembered the scar. She reached back, and dug her claws in, deep, ripping the skin, her shirt, all the way to the bone. Let him FEEL that – and know she was going to KILL him when she got her hands on him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He groaned, and tried to shift his arms. He felt her touch her scar, and his only relief in this prison, that she was safe, and unknown, washed over him. The chains wouldn't allow him to move. The sudden searing pain from his neck frightened him more than anything, and he couldn't even reach the scar to reassure her he was alright. He was trapped – and good – and it was all Predator's doing.

He'd been called to a meeting with Bruce and Vashid. SHE wanted him to do something, and he wasn't obliging her. He knew she wanted him, The Bear, but he wasn't going to give in…it was nearly time to go find his mate, and he wasn't going to her with the dead scent of a Vampire on his skin.

He'd been putting the alliance in jeopardy, but he didn't care, Risa was more important. He knew he was going to have to put on the show again, go with her to some function or other, pretend to be her consort, and he knew she was just waiting for him to give in, to allow the pretense to become the reality. The pretense was all he'd give her, and she was growing tired. The only thing that had saved him, up until last week, was her love of games, and the chase. She was a huntress, a predator in her own right, and she was stalking him like prey. He was allowing it to a point, to keep the alliance secure.

He'd seen something in the headlights of his truck, and suddenly Predator was in the road in front of him. He'd been tempted to just run the little fucker over, but something about the way he was waving him down had him concerned. The shit worked for Fountain – which meant he had news from the States.

"Creed, I'm glad I caught you. It's Risa, she's in trouble. Fountain found out about her – about you. He has her." Victor didn't trust the shit – but he smelled scared, really scared, and Victor knew the shit wanted revenge against Risa, but if Fountain had her, Predator wouldn't get his chance. He'd been TOO damned TRUSTING, and allowed the shit into the truck. He'd followed the weaker feral's directions, and walked right into a trap. It had taken eight high powered Vamps to take him down, and they'd bound him tight, with steel cables so he couldn't escape.

The first week had been bad, with dozens of Vamps feeding off of him daily. He hated their mouths on his body, but worse he HATED that Persian fucker that was in charge. Fountain – Xerxes as he insisted on being called – taunted him, not only when he came to feed, but in his mind.

Victor had figured out quickly that his animal, his feral nature could keep the Vampire Head at bay in his mind, but every time the fucker got in there, he took a little more, a little more information to taunt him with, a little more of his memories to torment him with. At least once a day Xerxes would come in, and play around in Victor's mind.

Victor was trying to keep control, trying to force feed the Vamp what HE wanted him to have, and keep certain things – one major thing in particular – hidden in the animal part of his brain.

"Good Morning, my pet." Xerxes said his voice cool and without inflection.

"Go to hell." Victor snapped back.

"I will break you, Sabretooth, don't think I won't. I have broken greater men than you." The former king walked around his suspended prey. Victor groaned. They had him hung from chains in the middle of the room, his feet just inches off the floor. His shoulders had dislocated within the first two days, from supporting his own weight and he was in constant pain. He ignored it – pain was his friend, it kept him focused, kept him sane, kept his mind clear so that he could protect what he needed to protect.

"And what is that? What do you protect so fiercely?" The black eyes of the Vampire looked into his.

"You'll never find out." Victor muttered.

"You think your poor animal can keep ME at bay for long. I will find out what it is you are so fiercely protective of – although I have an idea." He gestured to the door, and Predator walked in, grinning at Victor's discomfort, salivating at another chance to use the blood soaked whip on the table.

"I told him about your little girl – he's looking for her as we speak." Predator grinned, as he caressed the handle of the whip. "I get first crack at her – when he finds her, and I intend to fuck her right here, on this table – maybe I'll even use this whip, soaked in your blood." Victor snarled, but was unable to do more than that, as the whip cracked across his chest. He let the animal take over, let the pain feed its anger. It had been the same routine for two weeks, and he knew they didn't have her – yet.

The thirty lashes were over quickly and the Vampire forced his minion out of the room. Now the real torture started.

"Her name is Risa, that was all he knew, and that she was from somewhere down south. You have hidden her from me, in your mind, but, my friend, your body will betray you." He felt cold fingers trace the almost hidden scar. The chains had allowed him to keep it undetected until now.

"I wonder if she will feel –THIS!" He felt the brush of the fangs before they bit deep into the scar, his entire body thrashed with the agonizing pain, not only his own, but the knowledge that SHE was feeling this, and he couldn't do anything to stop it.

"I wonder if that was as pleasurable for her as it was for me." He heard the Vampire's soft whisper against his ear. "Your blood is so strong, so sweet, Sabretooth, I wonder if hers will be as well. From what my little friend tells me, she's so meek and quiet, without your strength, I wonder if she will just fold. I do look forward to having her – I might even have to disappoint my little friend and take her first."

Victor just growled low, not letting the Vampire have the satisfaction of knowing exactly how gut wrenching that thought was. He shook his head – just as the last of the mouths lifted from his body. As usual, it had all been in his head. Fountain would never allow Predator to spill his blood, it was too valuable to the Vampire, and he'd NEVER allow anyone to get close to the scar on his neck, he didn't want Risa to know – to know he was in danger or in pain, and so Fountain was very careful to not allow any harm to come to the scar itself.

"You will betray her yet." Fountain said, glaring at him from across the room. The lesser Vampires filed out slowly, each touching the hem of his robes before moving out to their assigned tasks. Fountain ran a tight organization, and kept his offspring under his iron control. "It isn't like I'll hurt her. If she is like you – her blood as powerful, your offspring will feed my empire for centuries, with the two of you, and your progeny, I can take control of Hydra – and the world."

The ancient Vampire turned and with a billow of his robes walked from the room. Victor growled low, allowing the animal to take control, and keep control of his body. He knew what was coming next. They would feed him, much the way his father had, by throwing live animals at him. He killed what he had to, to survive, and to keep his strength up, because there was no way in HELL he was giving Risa to Fountain.

The door opened and he glared, expecting his 'meal' but it was the last person he'd expected to see – the Runt.

"Well – just the way I've always wanted to see you, too bad Xavier wants you out of here." The metal claws came out of the black leather gloves and sliced through the chains. He dropped to the ground, and popped his shoulders back into place with a roar of pain and anger. Not only was he damned Vampire food, now he had to OWE the damned RUNT for his rescue. He let the pain and anger fuel him.

"Come on, Gambit's outside, holding them back. Xavier wants us to bring you to the mansion, and then we can contact Risa, and get you home." Victor snarled, and lunged at Logan. The pain in his shoulders as he jerked against the chains brought him back to reality. The damned Vampire was still playing in his head.

He was grateful for one thing, something the Runt had done, with those damned new claws of his, on the top of that damned statue had scrambled something in his brain. It made it hard to force his mind, telepathically; it also made him hard to track with telepathy, two things that he was counting on. Xerxes couldn't keep the mental torture up for long, it took too much energy to force his mind to focus on the thoughts the Vampire was trying to create, and Xavier couldn't track him, couldn't tell Risa where he was, which was keeping her safe and alive and out of this sadistic bastard's hands.

XXXXXXXXXXX

She was going to KILL him. She was fuming; she'd called his phone five times, but no answer. She was waiting for the sixth roll to voicemail, when a familiar voice picked up.

"Hallo?"

"Toad?"

"Risa?"

"Yeah – where's that two timing sack of shit I call a mate?"

"I don't know – he's been juggling so many things lately, but, what do you mean two timin'? He's held of a damned Vampire Head's attentions because he don't want to betray you, girly."

"What?"

"Yeah – Cleo…err The Bear wants him for her consort but he keeps sayin' no."

"Cleo…as in the last Pharaoh of Egypt Cleo?"

"Not sure about the last, but I know she had a thing with Julius."

"OH FUCK! He turned down Cleofuckingpatra?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, Toad, he's in trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"I sent him a message a week ago, didn't get any answer, and YOU know he'd answer me, if only to tell me to shut the fuck up. You guys haven't seen him in two weeks…and…" She looked up as the door opened and her nose curled at the scent of Vampire.

"I have to go…someone just walked in." She pressed the button cutting the connection. Angus was out on a kill, and this woman gave her the willies.

"You called." The woman said, as she sat gracefully down in one of the reception chairs, Risa had the strange feeling if it had been a throne it wouldn't have mattered.

"I didn't call anyone." She said.

"I believe your exact words were 'Cleofuckingpatra…a first for me." Risa reached for the extra knife she kept below the desk.

"Please – we are on the same side. You want Victor back, and I want Fountain dead."

"You keep your undead mitts off my mate." Risa snarled.

"I suppose that can be arranged, after all, if you two don't procreate, I won't have a chance to seduce your son."

"Reminder to self – have only girls." Risa muttered under her breath, but the Vampire heard and laughed.

"I like you – I like your mate, and not as food or a bed mate, although the last has crossed my mind a time or two, I do like virile men."

"What do you want?"

"You are the one who called me, and I am here at great personal risk to answer you."

"Do you know where he is?"

"No – I know Fountain has him, and has for two weeks. It would be best if you looked for areas with decreased Vampire attacks and activity, with a food source like Victor available to him, he will cut back on culling the human herd. I can also guarantee he WILL be looking for you, for the same reason I want you to find Victor. Your children will be a valuable resource for us – someday."

"Over my dead body." Risa growled.

"That CAN be arranged. You are nearly indestructible, but not fully, you CAN die, and so can Victor." The woman stood up, and suddenly was gone. Risa shook her head. There was no scent in the room; the woman had never been there.

"Just remember, we do have strong telepathic abilities – I put his name into your mind – his true name, but don't use it, until you are ready to face him in reality, or he will enter your mind like I did. We respond to our names, little one, just remember that." The voice was soothing in her mind and she shook her head again. She hated fucking telepaths.

Angus came in, bags from the local drive in gripped in one hand.

"A Vamp?"

"Yeah – mentally anyway."

"Feel's powerful."

"How would you know?"

"I've been around them, ya learn ta recognize the feel they leave in a room, even when they just project a mental image."

"I had a chat with The Bear." She said.

"The one yer man's been…"

"Hasn't been – according to her."

"Well – that musta been hard fer her ta admit, that a man coulda resisted her."

"You know who she is?"

"Aye. Jest don' like ta get her notice, if ye know what I mean."

'I do now; she offered to help find Victor."

"Then he's really in danger…did she say what kind?"

"Fountain."

"Hellfire and brimstone girl – that Vamp's outa our league."

"Not with help – and I THINK I can call in the help, once I know WHERE he is. She said to look for decreased vampire activity and attacks. She thinks that he's using Victor for food."

"Glory be…ye better hope yer man's as hard ta kill as you are…he's been vamp food for two weeks, I know Lycans that couldn't take that kind of punishment, and Fountain, he's a sick bastard, knowin' him he's playin in your boy's head."

"All the more reason to find him – NOW!" Risa said firmly.

"It's gonna take time, lass."

"I know." She looked up at him, and he blanched. She knew exactly what he saw in her eyes, she'd seen it once, in Victor's, when Predator tried to rape her. She was going to kill – and kill anything in her path until she found her mate.


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (11/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

**A/N This chapter contains violence and rape – Fair warning, so if you can't handle mature content either wait – or quit reading now. It also contains references to child murder and trauma, again if you can't handle mature content, now would be a good time to stop.**

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Three months of searching and nothing. He'd just disappeared. The only sign he was alive was the mark on her neck. She'd found a friendly pack leader, who sat her down and explained how marks worked with Lycanthropes, and she had a better understanding of what and how the mark worked for her and Victor.

She could let him know she was alright, but unless he could touch his mark, she wouldn't get anything from him. Her mark would stay as long as he was alive – or as long as she chose to be his mate. It wasn't as completely binding as they'd thought, there was a way out, but they both had to consciously decide they didn't want to be mates anymore, and stay away from each other for at least a decade for the scars to fade – at least that's how it worked with Lycanthropes. The mark faded instantly if one mate was killed – but usually the pain from the death of one mate was enough to either kill or seriously incapacitate the other. Most Lycanthropes who'd lost a mate never mated again.

IF this mark was like the Lycanthrope marks, and IF he was still alive, all he had to do was touch it to let her know he was alright, or for someone else to injure it for her to know he was in danger, but there had been nothing at all. She doubted he'd be able to go months without a shower, or some kind of movement where he brushed his hand across the back of his neck, which told her he was confined, and not in a very hygienic situation.

The Bear had said to look for areas of decreased Vampire activity, that if they had a food source as 'limitless' as Victor then Vamp attacks should be down, but she hadn't been able to find anything like that, if anything Vamp attacks were up all over the country. Her search had taught her a few things – like exactly how big the 'hunter' community was. There were Vamp bounty hunters in every major city, and her efforts to find Victor were creating an interesting side effect – they were all starting to work together and compare notes; and things weren't looking good.

People were disappearing – everywhere, and not just kids or random cases that were being pursued by the police, but whole communities just dropping out of contact. Some of them were turning up as Lycanthrope strongholds – later, with the former occupants turned and members of a pack, but there were even more who just went to work, and never came home, enough that the press wasn't even reporting missing persons anymore, and even the alert system for missing kids wasn't bothering to report anything but actual abductions. Risa had gotten through to Gambit at the mansion, and the X-Men were looking into things as well. Even Xavier was concerned about the missing people – some were mutants, and Risa was able to at least get an idea of where they had gone, mostly over the border, mostly to Magneto's camp, tent city they were calling it now.

She stayed in touch with Toad, who'd taken over the camp after Victor's disappearance. They were actually building permanent buildings now, not just tents, and the Canadian Government was being forced to give Mutants some sort of recognition and status, if only as refugees from a disaster.

Some parts of the country were worse than others. The Midwest and South Central parts of the US were basically unaffected with limited disappearances, and limited forced conversions to Vampire or Lycanthrope, the North East and West Coast were the worst, hundreds of people a day were disappearing out there, and things were starting to move inward.

"You gonna stare at that computer screed all day, Lass, or are we gonna make some cash ta pay the rent." Angus snarled at her.

"I keep thinking I'm looking at this wrong that we are looking for the wrong activity."

"Risa – we'll find him, but ye can't spend all yer time doin' that, we've got Vamps ta hunt."

"Angus…you're right. Let me get my gear. What'd this one do?"

"Child molester – attacked eight kids in three weeks, tried ta convert three of them, but was stopped, they finally got and ID off the last kid, and were able ta issue the bounty."

"Shit – how old's this Vamp?"

"Physically or actual age?"

"Both."

"Physically about thirteen, actual age, if the information is correct, he's about two hundred."

"Damn, the big boys are coming out to play." Risa said. She'd seen a lot working with Angus. The worst case they'd had was a ten year old girl who'd been converted into a drone and then attacked her parents because she didn't want to be alone forever. Even Angus had trouble with that case, but child services wouldn't take her, she was technically an adult as soon as she became a Vamp, and the courts didn't make any difference in age when it came to Vamp bounties. Risa still had nightmares about having to cut off her head.

And that was another problem. A bunch of kids were TRYING to be attacked – converted to get out of the system. They had gangs of teenage Vampires terrorizing cities, legal adults because of the virus in their bodies. The same for Lycanthropes, however, there were enough Lycanthrope families that foster systems were being put into place. It was the 'Vamp Cure' that was causing so many problems.

"Let's go – but this time YOU take the head."

"This is a two hundred year old Vamp – not a drone, but at least a Bride or Blood, it's gonna take both of us, lass"

"I know – but I had to kill Maggie."

"True enough." He grumbled as he strapped on the claymore and dirk he always carried.

Her knife was strapped to her back with a downward draw, easy to get to, but out of the way and easy to hide under a jacket. She liked the curved bladed weapon he'd given her the first day, and was still carrying it, although she'd added a dirk in her boot for a backup last year, after she'd nearly been Vamp food when she'd lost her knife.

She picked up her .9mm, and checked the silver ammunition. Three cases ago she'd started carrying it. More Lycanthropes were taking up with Vamps, providing daytime security for those who couldn't walk in the sun, in exchange for protection from the big packs. A war was coming, and the human population was the prize, they just didn't know it yet.

She'd heard rumors of 'feeding farms' where Vamps kept Omega Lycanthropes and humans in separate areas, breeding them for continued stock, and culling the herd every now and then to get rid of the weak. Most of the 'farms' were voluntary. Some were more like cults, led by a Vamp Blood; others were pure monetary and protection rackets, 'you live here, you do what I say and I won't convert you, because if you live out there, you have no guarantees.'

It was as bad or worse in Europe, whole countries taken over by Vampire Bloods, all reporting to the European Head. Britain and Germany were the holdouts, humans fighting back, Lycanthropes siding with the humans, but it was just a matter of time until the entire European Union was led by the Vampire Head.

Asia, Africa, and Australia were still under human control, at least on the surface. South America was quiet, and no one knew exactly what was going on down there. The alliance in Canada was now public knowledge, all four groups working together, the real battle ground was the US, and most normal people weren't even aware of it.

She followed Angus out to the truck. The setting sun made her groan as she slipped on her shades. The only thing she hated about this job – was working at night. She'd never been much of a night person, and most of the damned Vamps they hunted were night walkers.

"How's yer mom?"

"Pretty good. She's going out with that doctor again tonight. I think she really likes him."

"And you're hopin' she'll get married so ye can take off and look fer yer mate?"

"Sorta – yeah. I promised her I'd stay until she didn't need me anymore, and I will."

"Has the attorney heard anything?"

"No, he keeps sending the money, even though there haven't been any new deposits in four months." She reached for the spot on her neck.

"Risa – if he's in danger, that won't help him, if he's a prisoner, it'll only make it worse."

'I know, but it's all I have."

"Darlin' we'll find him, but we have ta pay the bills too." He grinned at her.

"I know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He moaned as he felt the faint brush of her fingers. It was the only thing keeping him going, knowing she was alive, and still out there. They'd moved him to a room closer to the main 'sleeping chamber.' He was guarded day and night by Lycanthrope guards, kept chained in the middle of the room so that he couldn't even rub his neck against the wall. His hands were chained to his waist, he could reach his dick to relieve himself, but he couldn't reach his neck. He'd nearly escaped twice – or thought he had. The Vampire really was messing with his head. Half the time he didn't know what was real and what wasn't.

The Vamp had broken his animal, was able to use his own mutation, his own senses against him now. The one time Victor had been able to get loose he'd managed to get a piece of wood and jam it into his brain. After the Runt's claw up there he knew it took time for his brain to heal, and as long as he could keep it injured no telepath could find him, and he could hide the knowledge of his mate near the damaged part. He'd learned more about his own body, what he was capable of while in this cell than he'd learned in his entire life.

He'd learned they could drain him completely of blood, and he'd still heal, he'd learned they could leave him for weeks without food and he'd still be able to feed them. He'd learned more about how his brain worked, and to actually know WHERE his memories were, and how to move them to keep the Vampire out. He'd learned to hate the stench of his body after they'd fed, and worst of all he'd learned that he couldn't fight certain things that they did.

He moaned as the door opened and Fountain walked in, his brides filing in behind him, silently, but with knowing looks. That half of the brides were male never surprised Victor, that all of them used him not only for blood but for sex humiliated him, made him wish he could actually die. He almost hoped that Fountain would mess with his brain again, but somehow the Vampire had figured out that it was worse torture for him to actually experience what they did to him, than to try to torture him in other ways.

Their hands were cold as they fondled him, silently. Cold lips, and even colder fangs scraping against his skin as his body reacted. He hated that they make him react, worse he hated that their bites were almost as orgasmic as sex itself. Fountain had hidden that, used the distraction his mind craved to try to force as much information out of him as possible, but now the Head was getting bored, either that or he'd gotten the information he wanted from another source.

"Feed quickly, we have work to do today." Fountain said shortly, before sinking his fangs into a vein in Victor's arm. His body bucked under the pain and pleasure that the bite sent coursing through his body. One of the female brides grinned, and sank her fangs in right under his groin, and Fountain's hand forced Victor's head down to watch his own orgasm as his body was forced over that edge again. The bride lifted her head from his leg, and licked the creamy drops from her skin, before placing her now warm lips around his head, blocking his view with her jet black hair. Fountain was forcing him to keep his eyes open, to watch what they were doing to him, forcing him to see – and acknowledge his lack of control over the situation.

He groaned as his hips bucked involuntarily, forcing him deep against the back of her throat as one of the male brides forced himself into him from behind. Fountain forced him to stay conscious, forced him to acknowledge that his body was reacting to this invasion, as two more of the brides bit deep and he shuddered to another orgasm deep in the female's throat.

"Just tell me her name – where she is, and this can all stop, Victor. I want your mate here with you; I want the two of you happy, contented, and reproducing. Just tell me where she is. With the two of you, and your offspring to feed my bloodlines, we can conquer the world, and I will reward you, and handsomely, I will even forget about this defiance, this little difficulty you are giving me, I can give you anything you want, even your dignity back, if you will just tell me where she is?"

"FUCK YOU!" He roared.

"Thank you – I will." Fountain said in his ear as he took his place from the male behind him. Victor groaned and tried to block it out, but the Vampire had a close control in his mind today. Some days he could block it, some days he couldn't, today was one of those, and then, out of the blue, he felt the shock of pain ripping through his neck, and the Vampire was forced out. Victor grunted in pain as Fountain finished inside him, but somehow, she was in danger, and that thought forced everything else from his mind.

"Where is she? I can have people there immediately to rescue her. Tell me, and I'll save her." Fountain whispered.

"Fuck YOU!" He groaned, his body hanging slack from the chain at his waist, exhausted from the blood loss and agony of this torture.

"You will give her to me, eventually." Fountain said as he and his brides left the room. "See you tomorrow, lover."

XXXXXXXXX

The damned kid got in behind her, managed to get a hold of her neck, his claws digging deep into the scar. She went down – hard to her knees, giving Angus the shot he needed, the whistle of the blade over her head was close, but she trusted him. The Vampire's head rolling on the ground next to her was almost as pleasant a sight as the after echo on her eyelids from the pain.

He was chained in a room – surrounded by Vampires, and she got a really good look at the one in charge – and she KNEW that face, and where his lair was.

"Risa – darlin' are you alright."

"That did it, I know where he is."

"What?"

"The Vamp, when Matt attacked me, I got a flash of Vic and where he was, it was the same this time…and I know the Vamp that has him."

"WHAT!?"

"I got a good look at his face."

"How the hell?"

"I've been talking to Xavier about it, he thinks that the bond between us, with the mark is a type of empathy, and when it is triggered by someone with telepathic abilities, it creates a split second telepathic link between us that allows us to see the other one, either that or I have a latent telepathic ability, probably low power, that only is triggered when pain passes through the bond. I think it's a combination. I can access the telepathic network between the Vampires when one of them attacks the bond and use it to locate him if he's in the presence of a Vampire of the same bloodline."

"That doesn't make sense…the first time ye were bit by Matt – and saw him with The Bear?"

"We don't know that a Vampire of her bloodline didn't turn him."

"True – but that means that this Vamp is of the same bloodline as the one that has yer boy?"

"If my theory is correct."

"So we need ta have another Vamp attack ye – ta get a fix?"

"Nope – I got everything I needed that time. He's in Wichita Falls."

"How can ye be sure?" Angus said, as he picked up the still wobbling head from the ground and threw the headless corpse over his shoulder.

"I saw the Vamp that has him – and all of his brides."

"You're sure…Billy Boy's not one ta be trifled with, he stays inside the law, there's no bounties out on him."

"I think Billy Boy's not what he seems." She said.

"What do ye mean, lass?"

"We've been looking at the information wrong. It isn't attacks that are down, it's conversions. Every city in the country, including Dallas has uncontrolled conversion going on, people being converted against their will, or accidentally. Wichita Falls only has voluntary conversions, and all of those are over the age of eighteen. Billy Boy keeps iron control over the Vampire population in the Falls, AND they don't have the Vampire Gang problems, AND NONE of the other Vampire Bloods will move into that territory."

"That doesn't mean…" Angus looked at her, and she could see the gears turning in his ancient head.

"That he's the Fountain?"

"I'll be damned…I think ye may be right."

"We don't even have a hunter there, there's not enough bounties to keep one fed." She said, thinking about the network of bounty hunter's they'd put together in the last month.

"Actually – it's in our territory, we'd be the ones called if they did have a problem." Angus said. "Let me call up a friend of mine – he's a judge over there, see if they have ANY bounties ta serve, I think we need ta pay Billy Boy a house call."

She grinned at him. Having a partner she could trust certainly made her life much easier sometimes. "I'll get my backup on standby, just in case. And if we can't get a bounty for Billy Boy – or Fountain or any of his brides, I KNOW I can get one on Creed." She grinned.

"You'd arrest yer boy?"

"To get his ass out of there – hell yea, If he happens to escape in the process of serving the bounty, well it won't be the first time."

"Have I told ye lately I like the way ye think?"

"Not today."

They laughed as he dumped the body and head in the body bag in the back of the truck. The body would go to the local hospital for disposal, the head to the courthouse for payment, and then to the local hospital for disposal in the incinerator.

Sometimes Risa thought she was getting too jaded doing this, but they were Vampires – and already dead, according to the law, so it wasn't really killing, but it was a fine line.


	12. Chapter 12

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (12/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Risa was getting frustrated. They couldn't get a bounty in Wichita Falls, she couldn't even get one on Victor, and she KNEW he was wanted in Texas, but they couldn't get a judge to issue an order without an actual arrest and bail jump. It had been a week since she'd seen him, a week of knowing he was less than one hundred and fifty miles away and she couldn't legally go get him. She was getting close to going illegally, but Angus and Xavier kept talking her down.

"If ye go in there withoot a warrant or a bounty ye'll jest be askin for trouble." Angus's accent got thicker the more upset he was, and she'd nearly taken the skin off of his body after he'd dragged her back from trying to sneak out of town to go after Vic. "No judge in his righet mind'll trust ye after that. Ye doon't want ta lose everythin' ye've worked for, now do ye, Lass. He's a big boy, he's been in worse scrapes, and he'll sit on ice till we can go in an' get him legal like."

Charles was worse.

"Marissa, I cannot ask the team to go in on this, not without absolute proof that he is there, and a legal right to do so. There have been too many illegal attacks on legitimate Vampires for me to allow the team into that grey area. And I refuse to send Logan, the three of you in one location would be too tempting a target for any Vampire, much less Fountain."

She was pacing the office. She hadn't even been home to change. Her mother was calling three times a day to check on her, but she just wasn't going to let this go. He was her mate for God's sake; she wasn't going to let him rot any longer than she absolutely had to. The flash she'd seen was of the Vampires leaving the room he was in. She'd seen his body hanging by his waist, limp and barely breathing. They were killing him, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. For the first time since she'd taken Angus up on his offer, she felt helpless.

At least Toad and the Brotherhood were ready to go in, as soon as she said the word. They had landed last night and were hiding out in a motel near the airport. Kate and her mom were their front people, making sure rooms were paid for, and no one saw who or what was inside. They'd even brought a few of the Lycanthropes from Canada to help.

Kate walked in the office door and Risa gave her a hug.

"I am so sorry Risa. Is there anything I can do?"

"No, unless you can think of anything that might get us into that compound legally; I can't get the X-Men to commit to helping us, and Angus won't let me go without legal reason to be there. Neither one of us want to lose our license."

"Well, it may be nothing, but Predator was hanging around the camp about four months ago, Victor ran him off several times before he disappeared."

"What did that dick weed want?" Risa snapped.

"I don't know, I only saw him twice, and never spoke to him."

"Did you ever find out his real name?"

"James – James Finley, from Queens, New York."

"Well it's a start." She turned to the computer. She shot off an email and waited. She had a friend in New York, another bounty hunter, maybe she could check, see if there were any bail jump warrants out on him, and if they had a current location – she'd bet ANYTHING that he was in Wichita Falls. Predator was just too stupid to not be involved in this.

XXXXXXXXX

He ached from his head to his toes. They'd really worked him over today. Not only had the Vampires fed, but then they'd let the damned Lycanthropes use him as a punching bag, as long as they left his face and neck alone. Something was going on. Fountain was getting careless, and Victor was doing everything he could to stay awake and aware and look for a chance to escape.

"…damned bounty hunter in Dallas looking into things. I want her stopped, I want her DEAD!" He heard Fountain outside the door. "I don't need her – or that damned Scotsman she works with nosing around here. There is too much to lose."

The door opened and Fountain entered, a picture of composure, but Victor could smell the seething rage underneath.

"You don't happen to know a bounty hunter in Dallas, do you?"

"I tend to avoid bounty hunters – there's usually a price on my head." Victor quipped.

"Well, someone has stirred a hornet's nest over there, and they are looking my direction."

Victor just grinned at him. "Nice to see I'm not the only one with problems."

His head snapped back, snapping his neck – and pinching the scar. He'd pushed the bastard too far, and finally Risa had to know something was wrong. He just hung there limply waiting for the spinal injury to heal.

Fountain walked out of the room, and Victor could hear him shouting outside.

"I want the entire compound packed up and ready to move by tomorrow. I am not taking any chances, not now, not when we are this close." Victor had no idea what he was talking about. Surely one mutant with a healing factor wasn't that damned important.

"What about the prisoners."

"Kill them, I don't need them anymore. Only Creed goes with us."

XXXXXXXXX

"ANGUS – call out the Calvary, we have a warrant." Risa barged into the back room, still rubbing her neck. He was just climbing out of the shower.

"On Fountain?"

"Nope."

"On Victor?"

"Nope."

"WHO?"

"James Finley, AKA Predator."

"The pain in the ass that nearly raped ye?"

"That'd be the one."

"What the hell does he have ta do with anything?"

"He was hanging around the mutant camp about three to four months ago, he quit about the time Victor disappeared, and his last known location…was Wichita Falls."

"That's a stretch."

"Maybe – but his last known employer was Billy Boy Entertainment." Now she had his attention.

"Gettin' better. Give me a real link."

"He's wanted for rape in New York AND Wichita Falls, the warrant is out of Wichita Falls, and he's a Mutant, so technically he falls under the Non-Human Enforcement Act." Texas had passed a law last year that made all Non-Humans subject to the same laws that controlled Vampires. Bounty hunters could use deadly force if necessary, and were considered officers of the court in Non Human cases. It gave them the force of law behind them. It also gave them full search and seizure authority for any premises inhabited by or used by the subject of the warrant, without a court order.

"That's still up at the Court for appeal."

"But they haven't suspended it, which means we can get IN and search if we have to."

"Unless they just give him up."

"That's why I'm taking my backup. Once we are in, they can sneak in and try to locate Victor. Once we have a location, we'll know where to concentrate our search. If we can hit them hard and fast and HOPE Predator stays true to form, and doesn't come quietly, it's exactly what we need to get in."

"I like it."

"So do I, Chere." Said a familiar voice from the door.

"Gambit – is the team here?"

"Yes – we gave de Professor hell – an' stole de jet." He grinned and gave her a hug. Behind him she saw the array of legends; Rogue, ShadowCat, Colossus, Storm, and Cyclops and Jean Grey. She still couldn't believe Gambit had actually convinced them to help her rescue Sabretooth.

"I've got Mystique, Toad, Juggernaut and Avalanche waiting in a motel near the airport." She said. She heard grumbles from the X-Men but Cyclops nodded. "Kate's gone to get them now."

"We have de Blackbird, and she's primed and ready to go." Gambit grinned.

"We are meeting here, arming up, and then we will head out. I have the warrant on me, so this is a legal and legitimate arrest attempt. We are only going in after Predator, but if Mystique or ShadowCat can find Victor and let us know where to search, we can rescue him within the scope of the warrant."

"What if they just give us Predator?" Storm asked.

"Then we have to take him and leave. I am counting on him being true to form and making us go looking for him."

Just then the outer door opened and the Brotherhood team walked in. There were some ruffled feathers, at first but everyone settled down quickly. The X-Men didn't like the idea of having to go in armed with anything other than their powers, but after a quick lecture from Angus on exactly how to kill a Vampire, they all grabbed a blade.

Risa couldn't help but laugh at Mystique - all she was wearing were knife sheaths, five of them strapped onto different parts of her body.

"You might want to conceal those."

"I will." She morphed clothes onto her body and every blade and sheath was hidden.

"Nice!" Angus grinned, and Risa almost blushed when she noticed his reaction. He was actually getting aroused by Mystique. She didn't think that was possible, with his curse.

"Down boy – we have a job to do." She whispered as she walked by him.

"Speak fer yerself, lass I ain't felt THAT in two thousand years." She glared at him as his eyes followed Mystique around the room. Damn it NOW of all times he had to go and be completely MALE and over MYSTIQUE of all people.

She was beginning to wonder if cursed highlanders counted under the Non Human clause, because if they did, she'd do her damnedest to give him God's Peace if he didn't pull himself together and help her get Vic out.

It took two trucks, and Kitty keeping Jugs phased to make it to the Blackbird for the twenty minute flight. They didn't even bother with the airport – or the Air Force Base for that matter, just sat down near the compound just outside the city limits. She and Angus were going in first, to serve the warrant and ask nicely for Predator to be turned over to them. While they were in there, Kitty and Mystique were going to slip in and see if they could find anything. If they did, they would inform Jean who would telepathically let Risa and Angus know where to center the search.

The nice thing about mutant telepaths and Vampire telepaths, they operated on different wavelengths or something. The Professor had tried to explain it to her once, when they were exploring the link between her and Victor, but the only thing she cared about was that Vampires couldn't sense mutant telepaths operating around them.

She clipped her badge to her belt, pulled on her leather jacket, and walked down the back ramp of the plane. Angus followed behind her towering over her, and she felt better having him at her back.

She moved with ease now, even loaded with weapons. It had taken a few years to stop being self conscious about them, but now they were just a part of her, and she didn't even notice anymore. Gone was all her teenage awkwardness and confusion, she had one goal in mind, rescue her mate, and NOTHING was going to deter her.

XXXXXXXXX

He heard a noise from above, and then a ghost image crossed his vision; a ghost in black leather? Victor shook his head. It wasn't anywhere near feeding time, and his guards were both snoring.

"Don't move, don't make a sound, we're gonna get you out of here." A familiar voice whispered in his ear. ShadowCat? Fountain was playing with his mind again, damn it. He tried to ignore the voice, but it came in through the other ear.

"I'm going now, but hold on, Creed. We'll get you out of here."

He just shook his head. If he ever got out of here – he was going to rip that damned Vamp's head off.

The door opened and one of the Lycanthropes glanced in, and glared at him, and he swore its eyes changed to yellow and winked at him just before the door closed. This was subtle, far more subtle than any illusion Fountain had ever created. He stamped out the small flicker of hope in his chest. It wasn't real, it couldn't be real. ShadowCat and Mystique would never work on the same team, certainly not to rescue him.

He heard a noise coming down the stairs, people yelling and a loud man's voice.

"I said we have a warrant, and by God I'll be servin it, or I'll be exercisin' me right ta deadly force, now get the bloody hell oot of me way 'for I take this claymore ta yer neck ya undead sack o' shit."

Victor groaned this was too close; this illusion was way too close. He felt that cold hand grip his insides again. The door slammed open.

"Whoat's THIS!" The giant man roared as he entered the room. Victor stared at him, Fountain was right behind. "Billy Boy, ye can't tell me this laddie's here of his own free will."

"But he is, and he will tell you so himself."

"I din'na think so."

"My pet, are you here of your own will."

Victor groaned and tried to fight the compulsion. He felt his voice and his mouth working, in spite of his effort. "I am here…" The piercing pain in his neck freed him from the Vampire, long enough to use his own voice. "as a prisoner of this BASTARD!" He roared the last word, as the woman stepped from behind the redheaded giant her hand trailing down her neck, the slight drop of blood on the tip of her claw silent testament to where the pain came from, and her scent hit Victor like a ton of bricks.

He hadn't actually seen her since she'd left. He was stunned by the woman she'd become. Her hair was long, and pulled back in a simple pony tail. Her face had slimmed down, her cheekbones more prominent, her lips fuller, and he longed to taste them again. Her body was still compact, wrapped in leather – his leather. She'd cut his shirts down to make her work clothes and he was stunned. She wore his clothes, the things he'd made by hand. She hadn't forgotten him, and he felt suspicious moisture in his eyes.

"Let him go, NOW Billy Boy." She snapped.

"I won't do that, Mari." Fountain hissed at her, and then backed up. Victor didn't think he'd ever seen anything move that quickly, and her blade was pressed against the ancient Vampire's throat.

"I'm not giving you a choice, Billy Boy." She whispered. "This is blatant kidnapping, from the looks of things torture, and I will NOT condone it, or allow it. I have a warrant, and anything I find in the execution of that warrant is covered. Now let him go – or I'm taking your head."

"You don't know who you are dealing with." Fountain hissed again.

"Don't I, FOUNTAIN, or should I say Xerxes." She hissed. Victor was stunned by the cold hate in her eyes, a look he'd only ever seen out of a mirror. He'd wanted her to mature – not end up like this. "Now LET HIM GO!" Her roar would do Victor justice.

"He's a Mutant, nothing to you, Mari Green, and I know he's a murderer and a rapist. I'm just serving a little justice." Fountain was using his 'reasonable' voice.

"One problem with that, he's still here against his will, that's still kidnapping, even of a mutant, even of a mutant wanted for the crimes you say." She wasn't looking at Victor; she was focused on the Vampire. She'd given him enough pain to break the Vampire's control, and suddenly he realized – she'd given him enough pain to block Fountain's control, it was really her.

"I need a little more than that, Ms. Green."

"I have a warrant…"

"For Predator, not Victor Creed."

"Laddie, ye're forgettin a few things. One – this is a blanket warrant, it covers anythin' we find in the execution of it. Two – it gives us blanket search and seizure without a court order – and we're seizin' this."

"I will kill both of you." Fountain growled, dropping his calm façade.

"Not likely." They both said in unison, and Victor wondered about that. Risa's knife was still at the Vampire's throat, but it was the huge sword in the man's hands that made Fountain think twice.

"I'd call this an impasse." Said another familiar voice, and Mystique stepped into view, running her hands over the giant's arms. He watched a shudder pass through the man's body. "KittyCat would you take care of this problem."

Victor was stunned as black clad figures walked into the room…Gambit, Rogue, Cyclops, Colossus and ShadowCat. It hadn't been a dream. The slight girl walked across the room, and grinned at Victor.

"Do NOT TOUCH HIM!" Fountain roared, trying to surge forward to stop her, but he was stopped by five feet of solid steel, right against his throat. What surprised Victor was the forest of steel that suddenly appeared, all pointed at the Vampire, and most in the hands of the X-Men. Kitty reached her hand out and gripped Victor's. He felt strange for a second, and then the chains dropped to the floor and Kitty lead him forward a step before he became solid again, and dropped to his knees from pure shock.

"Get something to cover him up." Risa hissed. The giant pulled a pair of jeans and a shirt from a pack on his back and passed them to Kitty who handed them to Victor.

"Now you have two choices. You can TRY to kill us – probably not a good idea, what with half the X-Men here, or you can let us go, taking Mr. Creed there with us. If you try to kill us, I will have the pleasure and pure thrill of cutting a head off of a hydra, because I WILL kill you." Risa was right in the Vampire's face, and Victor was stunned by the pure steel in her voice and backbone. "I will have so much fun taking your head you sick son of a bitch."

The Vampire stepped back, and gestured for them to leave the room. "I suppose you will continue your search."

"No need – we have Predator safely on the jet." Cyclops said. "We caught him as he tried to slip out the back."

The redhead giant walked over and slipped an arm under Victor's and around his back and helped him to his feet.

"I can walk, damn it, I'm no invalid."

"Move it Creed – yer' wanted in Dallas, and I intend ta make sure you make it there in one piece." The giant growled. Victor pulled himself up to his full height, and was only four inches taller than the damned man. Victor growled himself, and stepped forward. His hands were yanked behind his back, and cuffs clamped onto his wrists, hard.

"Mari – ye ready ta take this sack o' shit back ta Dallas."

"Move it." She growled, and they moved forward through the door, Victor in the center of the crowd. He almost missed the movement as Fountain lunged to attack her, but he didn't miss her movement, or the curved blade that moved almost in slow motion across the Vampire's neck – as the ancient beast's head dropped to the ground, and his body flopped twice before laying still. Victor heard a wail come from nearby and knew the Brides had felt the pain of their master's death.

"I warned you." She growled, and grabbed the head by the hair. "MOVE!" She shouted to the group, and they broke into a run. Cyclops started blasting anything in the way, and suddenly the wall in front of them collapsed.

"Jean said you needed a hole." Juggernaut said, before turning and moving quickly back the way he came.

"SHIT!" Kitty grumbled and ran after him. "Now I'll have to keep him phased the whole way back to Dallas."

The group ran through the hole, Vampires and Lycanthropes pouring out behind them as they ran up the ramp of the plane.

"Sit." The giant said, shoving him into a seat on the plane.

"Jean – getting us out of here would be nice." Risa said to the woman in the pilot's seat as she dropped the head in one of the lockers on the plane. Victor glanced over and saw Predator sitting, cuffed to one of the rails of the bench seats. He growled at the boy.

"What are you growling at – I see you cuffed, Old Man." Predator snapped, and suddenly his head snapped back as Risa's fist slammed into his face.

"YOU speak to Victor with respect or I will skin you alive and make you tan your own hide." She hissed.

"Who the fuck are you?" Predator snarled.

Risa grinned at him, a grin that Victor knew only the feel of – it was one he wore when he was going for a kill.

"You really are a dumb fuck, James." She laughed suddenly, and slapped him again hard, this time letting her claws slice his face, crossing the scars Victor had given him. "The name's Marissa – Marissa Green."

Victor watched recognition – and fear blossom across Predator's face and he almost laughed – except he wasn't sure he wanted that cold glare directed at him, not out of her beautiful face.

"And YOU!" She turned on him and he sat there, the plane shuddering around him as they started forward movement toward Dallas. "I killed a HEAD for you, and you haven't even said hello."

"Risa?"

Her hand across his face shocked him.

"Who the fuck do you think I am, Santa Fucking CLAWS!"

He struggled against the cuffs; the link breaking and he grabbed her and crushed her against him. He didn't give her a chance to say no, he stopped her mouth with his before she could draw a breath. He moaned against her lips as her scent – her taste – the brush of her hair against his hands as he gripped her closer, afraid she would pull away.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He was kissing her – no devouring her, and she relished every second. His taste – his scent – the crushing grip of his hands as he drew her closer against him, every bit of him alive and vibrant against her.

"Victor." She breathed against his lips.

"Baby." He breathed the word against hers.

"Not anymore."

"I can see that." He breathed.

He pulled her down with him as he sat on the bench, her body cradled against him. Her words caused a chill down his spine. She'd killed a Head for him, what manner of hell had she unlocked against them?


	13. Chapter 13

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (12/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

A/N This chapter contains violence and rape – Fair warning, so if you can't handle mature content either wait – or quit reading now. It also contains references to child murder and trauma, again if you can't handle mature content, now would be a good time to stop.

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The X-Men dropped them off in Dallas and headed right back to New York. Mystique and the Brotherhood decided to stick around a few days. It wasn't like she planned on coming up for air anytime soon. She had him – right where she wanted him – and wasn't going to let him go for a while.

She was driving the second truck; Angus was dropping off the Brotherhood at the motel. She had a feeling she wouldn't be seeing much of him for a few days either. She and Victor had Predator cuffed and tossed in the back. She planned on dropping Victor off at the office, while she took the pain in the ass to the county jail for processing.

"Risa, you should have dropped me off with the others. I need ta get back ta the camp." Victor muttered.

"Not yet you don't – you need food, a warm bed, and some rest. You're factor is on overdrive, you've lost at least fifty pounds, and I am NOT turning you loose like that, you look like a mangy cat." She growled at her mate. She needed him, and she wasn't letting him leave her, yet.

"Risa – I'm wanted it Texas, if someone sees me…" He snapped back.

"Right now no one would recognize you, so shut the hell up and let someone take care of YOU for a damned change – or I'll drop you off with dick weed back there. The county jail does such a good job of caring for its prisoners, don't ya know." She snapped sarcastically.

"So my choices are your TLC or the county lockup…tough choice." He snarled.

"Fine – county it is." She snarled back.

"Wait…alright, a few days, just till I get back on my feet." He grumbled.

"You'll stay till I'm sure you are back on your feet, or I'm turning your ass in." She grumbled back.

"How are ya gonna keep dick weed from talking?" He snapped.

"Leave that to me."

"I'd rather not."

"You don't have a choice, he's my prisoner." She snapped back.

"Risa…" He was really snarling and growling now.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, Vic.!" She roared back. "This is MY show, you're along for the ride – don't like it, fuck off."

His eyes grew as wide as saucers, and then narrowed. She could smell the anger and frustration rolling off of him in waves, and she wasn't going to put up with his crap. She'd put up with it once, but no more. She'd grown up – a whole lot since the camp, and she wasn't letting Victor Creed walk all over her anymore.

She pulled up outside the jail, and threw him a baseball cap and sunglasses. "Try to be inconspicuous; I'll deal with Mr. James Finley. You stay put…"

He growled, but put on the cap and sunglasses and hunkered down in the cab of the truck.

She opened the back camper shell and grabbed Predator's cuffs.

"Don't make me do this the hard way, it's been a long day and I really just want to get a shower and clean up. "

Predator started to snarl, but she back handed him against the side of the truck.

"You just don't get it – you are a mutant, a feral, you fall under the Non Human Law Enforcement Act, which basically says I own your ass, I can do what ever I want, whenever I want until I take you through those doors, so let's get a few things straight. I hold the badge, I hold the gun, I hold the knife, it's your word against mine – and frankly these guys LIKE me, so your best bet is to keep your stupid mouth shut – say yes sir and no sir really nice to the guards in there, and confess to whatever they charge you with. See if you resist - in there, they just kill you, being a Non Human. If you want to see the next sunrise, be a good boy. If you don't, give me trouble please – ending your miserable life would almost be a pleasure for me."

His eyes were wide – and she could smell the fear rolling off of him. She'd had him at the Non Human Law Enforcement Act statement. He'd been in Texas long enough to know what that meant.

"Now move along nice and quiet, and if you even THINK about ratting out the Brotherhood OR Victor, remember I know where you will be living for a long assed time, and I have a lot of friends. Or you could just do me a favor and try to resist, and I'll turn in your corpse - your choice."

She'd always figured him for a coward – and he seemed to have gotten a little smarter with age – not much, but enough, she hoped to know when to keep his big yap shut.

The turn in went smoothly, and he just muttered responses to the guards, who all greeted her with smiles and her first name.

"Brought us a live one for a change, huh Mari." Mary Elizabeth, the desk clerk grinned.

"Yep – wanted for rape in Wichita Falls, had some problems over there, so doing my turn in here."

She handed over the warrant, signed by her and Angus.

"Nice – that's a thirty grand bounty; I'll process the paperwork in the morning,"

"Sweet – Thanks M.E." She grinned, and then scowled at Predator as she walked by. She would swear she saw a shiver run through his body. She didn't let the grin spread until she was outside the building. THAT felt so good.

She climbed back into the cab of the truck.

"That was some speech – can you follow through?" Victor snarled at her.

"One thing I've learned, never claim to do anything you can't…it gets you in trouble. I hear ONE word about him getting out of line, and I have friends that will take care of it." He shot her a glare, and just leaned back in the seat. He was quiet the rest of the way back to the office – and her own truck.

"There's a shower in back – and Angus's stuff seems to fit you okay, he's got a few things back there you can borrow until we can get you some clothes." She said, pointing to the back office. She had to log the warrant into the computer system she'd developed for them, and the expected amount of the deposit. She also needed to email New York and let them know Predator had been caught so they could start extradition if they wanted.

"This isn't a game, is it?" He said, as he moved slowly to the back office.

"No – I like what I'm doing, I DON'T like Vamps, there have been a few cases that really got to me, but most of the time, its smooth sailing." He glanced at her, a strange look in his eyes, before going into the back office. She heard the shower turn on, and leaned back in her desk chair.

She'd discovered that the mirror in the back office gave an almost perfect view of the showers. She knew Angus knew, they'd set it up that way, so that whomever was in the front office could keep an eye on the other one, especially after a bad bounty. She'd collapsed a few times in there. She knew with Angus' curse, he couldn't do anything, and frankly she wasn't interested in his body either. Tonight, though she had a different reason for using it.

She saw white ribbon scars across his back, and legs, signs of abuse that hadn't healed yet. She could see the scar tissue on his legs and arms where the Vampires had bitten over and over in the same spots, not allowing them to heal properly. He was thin, almost gaunt, for him, his hair was filthy, hanging in matted clumps, and she hadn't been far off when she'd called him a mangy cat – his body fur was bald in patches.

She didn't know if he wanted her help, so she stayed in the office, checking on him, until she heard a small whimper. Sabretooth didn't whimper! She got up and walked back to the shower. He was leaning on the wall, trying to work shampoo through his mane. He was tugging at the tangles, and the whimpers were coming as he ripped huge chunks of hair out.

"Vic, let me get some scissors." She said softly.

"NO! I can do this." He roared.

"Baby – it's tangled beyond anything. You won't be able to get it out. It will grow back." She ran a hand down his back, and he turned to face her. His eyes were blazing in anger and frustration and something she'd never seen before. She was almost afraid. That Vampire had come close to breaking the unbreakable, and she needed to find something to mend the cracks.

"Get out." He snapped.

"No." She started slipping off her clothes. He just turned his back to her, and she smiled. It always had to be his way, with him. He was going to learn that she'd gotten used to things being her way too.

XXXXXXXXXX

He heard the leather hit the floor outside the shower stall; he refused to look at her. She wasn't going to do this. He needed to get back on his feet. He couldn't take care of her, not the way he was now. He wasn't ever going to admit how close to total insanity – total surrender he'd been, certainly not to her. Her soft hands, lathered in soap ran over his back.

"Risa – don't. I can take care of it."

"I'm sure you can. I just need to touch you so shut the hell up and let me." She snapped.

She needed to touch him. He felt his heart lift a few inches off the ground. He wasn't sure where he stood with her, not anymore. She wasn't a kid – she was a woman, a feral in full control of her powers, her rage, and herself, and he wasn't used to dealing with her like this. All he could remember was her sweet young body under him, trying to please him. This creature was NOTHING like that girl had been.

"Fine – do what you want." He snarled. He didn't know why he was angry; he had no reason to be angry with her. She'd pulled HIS damned fat out of the fire – and that's when it hit him. She'd seen him helpless – and he was NEVER helpless. His claws scraped the tile of the shower, and he winced at the high pitched noise.

"Relax – I'm just helping you get the grime off. You can soak when we get back to my house, get it all off of you, but we are going to have to do something about that hair." She whispered, her breath cool against his wet back as she rinsed the soap off.

"Leave it – for now." He snarled. "I want to remember."

"Fountain is dead – I took his head, remember. He can't touch you anymore."

"I know – but someone will take his place, and they'll know exactly who I am, and what I was used for."

"Victor – I won't let that happen again."

"YOU CAN'T STOP IT! Don't you get it, Risa?" He turned, grabbing her arms and slamming her back against the wall. "He didn't ask, he didn't offer, he TOOK – and took – and took, until I almost didn't have anything left to fight with – or for. And YOU let the one person who knows WHO you are LIVE!" He looked into her eyes, and was surprised by the lack of fear, or anger in them. He was manhandling her, and all he could see was pure need.

"RISA!" He roared, before capturing her mouth with his. He honestly didn't think his body would be able to go where this was leading, but he felt himself responding to her fire – her need, and he just grabbed her knee, and pulled one leg up around his waist as he slammed into her. God he needed to be inside of her. He moaned as her breath caught, and she wrapped the other leg around him. He forgot everything for a second, the only thing that mattered was her, wrapped tightly around him as he plunged into her again and again. It was quick – his release, he didn't even consider it an orgasm, just physical release. He was panting against her neck, and he could feel her body still trembling from her own release. He couldn't believe she'd been able to – not like that, but all the signs were there.

"Damn, I'm…"

"If you say sorry – I'm kicking your ass out. Victor I needed that." She whispered against his lips. He tried to let go of her but her claws were clinging to his back. He snarled.

"If we're gonna continue this - I think I need to finish this shower, and I can't do that if you're hanging on me."

"Just remember – we're going to finish this, or I'm going to finish you." She snarled back. He turned his back to her – more so she wouldn't see the complete predatory grin that crossed his face. She was in SO much trouble when they got someplace private.

XXXXXXXXX

She'd pulled on clean clothes – her last set again, and was waiting for him to finish up in the shower. She heard Angus's electric razor and she glanced back into the back office. He was shaving his hair off. He'd cut out the tangles and now was shaving it down to an almost military buzz. She bit back the groan, it would take years for him to grow it back, and she was going to miss it – but it really was all he could do. She turned back to the computer, carefully wiping the single tear from her eye.

He would survive, he would recover, it's what he did – he healed. She was just going to have to bear with it until he did. He came out of the office dressed in a pair of black jeans, one of Angus's black pocketed T-shirts, and a pair of boots.

"Your Bonnie Prince Charlie's a good fit." He snarled.

"He ain't mine…but I think Mystique might get a claim on him. Not sure how that's working – but he was definitely interested, and that's the first time I've seen him even NOTICE a woman."

"Really?" He glared at her with doubt.

"Really – I'll tell you all about him later…let's go home."

"Now THAT'S the best idea I've heard all day – how long till we reach the border?"

"I meant my place."

"Oh." He grumbled, but followed her out to her truck.

The shower had taken the edge off – but just the edge. Having him this close, his scent fresh and hot in her nostrils was driving her insane. She hoped to hell her mother was out with the doctor she'd been dating. The last thing she needed tonight was a 'safe sex' lecture from her mom.

Her mother's car wasn't in the driveway – so either she'd been called in at the hospital, or she'd gone somewhere – either way, it meant some privacy. They'd rented a house a couple years ago, instead of the apartment, mostly because Risa wanted the privacy when she came home covered in blood. Her mother hated what she was doing – on that subject they'd agreed to disagree – just like on the Victor subject.

"There's a huge tub in the main bathroom. We had it put in about six months ago when I realized I needed to soak to get the blood completely out of my pores." She said simply as she unlocked the front door. "I'll fix you something to eat while you soak."

"Risa…"

"The only things I want to hear out of you are the sound of you getting into the tub, and a sigh as the heat soaks some of those knots out of your muscles. NOW!" She knew she was being short with him, but if she let him pick up on her fear – she'd be back under his boot heel, and as much as she needed him, both physically and emotionally – she wasn't ever going to give that man the upper hand again. She needed to keep him off balance for a while, not knowing where he stood with her – so she could figure out where she stood with him.

She'd nearly lost it, seeing him chained like that, a drain under his feet for the blood and whatever they were using to wash him before feedings. She could smell what they'd been doing to him, EVERYTHING they'd been doing to him and she wasn't going to have any problems letting him be dominant in bed – she preferred it, to be honest, but she wasn't giving up the rest of her life to his dominance – not without a fight. Alpha male or not – he could just dance to her tune for a while.

She glanced into the fridge to see if her mother had put anything out to thaw, but it was empty. She had no idea what they'd been feeding him, but her guess was high protein – and probably not cooked, to get the maximum replenishment of blood in his body. She opened the freezer and grabbed a couple frozen meals. She and her mom cooked twice a week, and froze meals for quick heating if they needed them out of the leftovers. It was one of the things they'd started doing together that she really enjoyed.

She popped the lids on the compartmentalized freezer boxes and threw one in one microwave. They'd also put a second microwave in so that they could have meals at the same time when they were home. She was popping the lid on the second when she heard her mother's car in the driveway. She growled low, but grabbed two more meals from the freezer. She might as well fix enough for all of them.

"Risa – I hope that bathwater is for me. I had a rough night, got called in and…WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

SHIT! She'd gone straight to the bathroom.

"MOM he's with me." She shouted.

"WHAT!?!"

She went charging down the hallway. Her mother was standing outside the bathroom door, both hands on her hips, glaring into the bathroom.

"Mom – it's Vic." Risa said simply.

"Vic…Mister abandons you for almost six years and never calls…Vic." Her mother snapped.

"I've called." She heard him mutter from the bathroom.

"Vic – you're not helping…just soak a while I'm heating up dinner. Mom come with me to the kitchen, I'll explain." Risa glanced into the bathroom, only his head and shoulders were visible over the side of the sunken tub, and those were down low as the water rose quickly. She was glad she'd spent the money on the quick filling tub. She pointed her finger at him and the tub as he started to get out, he just glared – but sank back down into the steaming water.

"Mom – I told you he went missing about four months ago."

"Yeah – I remember. I was hoping you'd forget about him and get on with your life." Her mother snapped as she pulled one of the boxes from the microwave.

"Yeah – right! We've been over this; he's my mate, as much of a pain in the ass as he is, and I'm not just gonna 'get over him.'" She grabbed the other box as the microwave beeped and started the other two heating.

"So now what – you found him, great. What are you going to do?"

"For starters he's gonna stay with us for a few days, he needs to get back on his feet, physically. He's been through some really rough stuff the last four months, it came close to – maybe not killing him – but certainly making him wish he were dead. I plan on helping him heal, and then he'll decide what he's doing. I promised I'd stay until you don't need me anymore, and I will, but eventually I'll join him."

"Then go." Her mother snapped. "Just leave – you don't have to stay here because of me. You're an adult – with a mutation that guarantees you don't have to worry about consequences."

"Don't start. I'm not in the mood for Mother Guilt." She snapped. "You need me here, if only to share the rent, unless Doctor Bob is going to do more than talk – and keep me up half the night, and I don't want to hear a WORD about me and Vic – by the way. You are loud enough to wake the dead."

The slap resounded through the room. "How DARE you?" Her mother hissed.

"I'm an adult, Mom, I KNOW what sex sounds like, I've had it a few times, I didn't walk in and tell you to keep it down, and all I'm asking for is the same courtesy."

"As long as you live under my roof…" Her mother started.

"Don't go there – in case you've forgotten I pay the rent, I pay most of the bills, and I buy the groceries. The lease is in both of our names, not just yours, so drop it."

"Risa – enough." He said from the door. "I'll be gone as soon as I get something to eat." He'd put the clothes he'd borrowed from Angus back on. She could tell the scars on his arms were a little better.

"Like HELL! She's not going to guilt you into that. Hell YOU pay half the rent here with the money you send me, you have as much right to be here as either of us." Her mother paled at that statement.

"She's right. I'm sorry, Mr. Creed. I am not used to my daughter standing up for herself like this. It's something she's been doing since she started this horrible job she does." Her mother opened the microwave nearest her and handed him the box from inside and a fork from the drawer. Risa grabbed the second box as the microwave beeped and handed it to him.

"Eat." She growled at him. He shrugged and sat down at the table.

"Risa – I can't stay. I'm wanted for one thing, and for another – I need to get back to the camp." He said, trying to sound reasonable.

"Bullshit, Toad's running the camp just fine, so you can rest a few days, and I doubt ANYONE is going to recognize you with that boot camp hairdo you're wearing." She said.

"TOAD'S running my CAMP!" He roared.

"And doing a DAMNED good job – so take a fucking break." She snapped at him.

"Is she always like this?" He growled at her mother.

"Only when she's killed something, I think its and adrenaline rush." Her mother said, bitterly.

Victor laughed. "I'll remember that."

"Don't think I'm letting you walk out of here with my daughter." Her mother said.

"And you're gonna stop me – how?"

Her mother glared at him.

"I can see I'm out voted. I'll be in my room."

"Both of you quit. Victor – eat – don't talk. Mother – he's staying, at least for a few days. Live with it." Her mother glared – but walked out of the kitchen after dropping the freezer box in the sink.

"Risa – have you considered…what you did?" He said, almost softly.

"You mean killing a Head – getting the attention of the all the heads of all the bloodlines of the entire Vampire community, or are you talking about fucking you in the shower."

"RISA – STOP!" He roared it this time, surging up out of the chair and trapping her against the refrigerator door. "This isn't a joke. You have put us on their radar, and as much as they might have personally disliked him, he was one of them, and they WILL come after whoever killed him."

"I know that – in case you've forgotten, I'm a vampire bounty hunter. I'll deal with it when the time comes – now you need to get some sleep." She tried to push against him.

"No – I ain't sleepin' with Vampires comin' after me."

"Victor – you need sleep, I'll stay awake. I do this for a living."

"Risa."

"You are dead on your feet. I know you don't want to deal with what happened in there, and I'm not going to make you, but…you need food and rest and time to heal and get back to full strength – and I'm going to need you there."

"What?"

"They will be coming after ME – and I'm going to need both you and Angus to cover my back. The X-Men won't, they can't – they can't afford to get involved any more than they are, neither can the Brotherhood. It's the three of us against them, so I need you whole – and well – and ready to kick some Vampire ass."

"WOMAN you have been ordering me around all night." He pressed her against the door, the handle digging into her back.

"Yeah – well you've let me, which tells me just how much rest you do need."

"Where did you come from – where's my Mouse?" He leaned down to kiss her.

"She died…" He stopped – she knew exactly what stopped him, her eyes were cold and black and without fear – or any emotion.

"I don't believe that." He whispered.

"Believe it. You can either deal with ME – or walk out that door and not look back. I'm not some weak thing to be walked on and ordered around, not anymore. If that's what you want, you better pray this mark will go away, because I won't ever do it again."

"Good." His mouth was bruising, hard and demanding, and he left her breathless and clinging to his shoulders. "There are parts of this new 'you' I don't like – but I expected that. I'm proud of ya, Mouse. Don't ever forget it."

"You bastard." She muttered, before kissing him just as hard as he'd kissed her. He moaned, and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

"You'd better tell me where your room is – or I'm opening the first door I come to – and throwing you onto the first bed."

"Second door on the left." She had to admit, she at least got to admire the view from back here. He really did have a nice ass – especially in those jeans. She figured they had one – maybe two days tops before the Vampires descended on them en masse, and she wasn't going to let one second go to waste.


	14. Chapter 14

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (14/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

He wasn't joking; he threw her down on the bed, slammed the door and then started stalking her from across the room. She wanted to grin at him, but knew it might spoil the mood, so she just watched him move. He was so thin, and she couldn't stop the spike of pain at how much he'd suffered.

"What? Did I hurt you?" He snarled a feral grin on his face.

"No, Baby – I'm fine." She was leaning back on her elbows, watching him move. He was still as graceful as always, like a stalking cat, slow deliberate movements that already had her burning low in her gut. His scent was strong – earthy pines and musk – just like she remembered, and she had a sinking feeling her wardrobe was about to suffer a loss. She wasn't going to stop him though, he needed to feel dominant, needed to be the alpha, after what he'd been through, so she just waited – and watched.

"I can smell you, Mouse." He purred, and she felt a delicious shiver run down her spine. She'd begun to wonder if she would ever hear that sound again – his purr. He was climbing up from the foot of the bed, his body covering hers slowly, and she felt like she was sinking into a warm pool of sensation. Even through their clothes she could feel every inch of him, and knew he would be demanding his due soon. His fingers traced up her bare arms, as he settled on top of her to look her in the eye.

"Well now that you have me where you want me, what are you going to do about it?" She purred at him. She watched his eyes close halfway and felt his shiver as her purr ran over him. She knew he felt her matching shiver as well.

He lifted himself up, far enough to get a claw under the edge of her shirt and ripped. "I want your skin, kitten. I want to touch and taste and smell your skin." She helped him slip the shirt off of her body, and he made short work of her jeans as well. He pulled himself off of her long enough to take off the borrowed clothes he was wearing – he didn't have anything else.

She watched the play of his muscles, he was lean, the muscle mass wasn't what it should be, but a few days of good food and rest should take care of that. She noticed the scars were beginning to fade – and suddenly had a desperate need to see the one on his neck. He climbed back onto the bed and covered her with his body, the soft brush of his fur making her arch under him.

"Don't rush, kitten." He whispered as he nipped down the side of her neck. She moaned. Don't rush HELL – she needed him NOW! She reached her arms up around his neck, her fingers questing for that needed spot. She NEEDED to know it was still there – that he still wanted her. He looked down at her face, and then twisted his neck and body so that she could see it. She let out a sigh of relief, it was still there – still rigid and puckered, a perfect mold of her teeth and fangs in the muscle between his neck and shoulder. She stretched her neck to reach up to brush her lips across it but he pulled away. She let out a little whimper.

"Now THAT'S my Mouse." He grinned down at her. He grabbed her arms and pulled them down, capturing her wrists with one clawed hand and pinning them over her head to the mattress. He used the other hand to force her head to turn so that he could see his own mark. He grazed it gently with the tip of his claw and she almost came unglued. Her body pressed against him, begging silently for him to finish this. She felt him poised at her entrance but every time she'd move to welcome him – he would pull away. She knew what he was doing – knew why he needed it – but it was driving her INSANE!"

She whimpered again, low and begging and his grin relaxed into something softer as he gently slid inside her. Her whimper turned to a moan, and she tried to move under him. He released her hands, and used both of his claws to grip her hips and hold her still.

"I won't last long if you do that." He whispered as he leaned down and captured her mouth in a bruising kiss. His fangs were sharp and she tasted her blood, that was almost enough to put her over the edge, but he pulled away again. "Did you miss me?"

She nodded, her body straining against his hands as she slipped her arms around his neck to try to pull him back down against her.

She moaned as he just grinned and shook his head. He was in charge – damn it – and he was doing what HE wanted – her needs be damned. She was so going to make him suffer for this, she thought – and then he moved inside her and all thought went right out the window. This time his efforts couldn't stop it, she was too close – too much in need of him – and he'd moved in just the right way. She just threw her head back and roared her satisfaction as he lost what control he was hanging onto, and just let himself go. He pounded into her, and her healing factor was struggling to keep up with him. They both could smell blood from both of their claws – and it was just spurring him on. His claws were sunk into the flesh over her hips, and hers were raked over his back and dug deep into his shoulders as she held on and let him push her over that edge over and over again before he finally roared and collapsed on top of her.

"Damn." He muttered against her neck – the side opposite her scar. His breathing was ragged, and hers wasn't much steadier. "I needed that."

"I did too." She could feel the grin on her face.

"Are you alright?" He lifted up far enough to look down at her.

"I have you back – of course I'm alright." She couldn't stop smiling.

"Risa…you know what I mean. I didn't hurt you too badly did I?"

"No." She reached up and stroked his cheek. She didn't like him clean shaven – she missed her wild cat, but she knew it would grow back, and as long as he was with her – inside of her – she didn't care about anything else at the moment.

He groaned as he slipped out of her to roll onto his back.

"Get some sleep, lover." She whispered as she started to climb out of bed. He rolled quickly to his side and threw a still heavy arm over her stomach.

"You ain't goin' anywhere." He whispered.

"Yes I am. I still need to get a bath, and I need to try to convince Mom to get the hell out of the line of fire."

"How long do you think we have – before they come after us?" He dug his claws into the mattress, trapping her against him. She frowned at him.

"I don't know – probably a couple days, and we can expect the unexpected I am certain." She muttered, as she swatted at his paw. "And YOU are replacing my sheets, damn it."

"You belong to me, remember." He whispered against her ear. "So they are MY sheets."

"Like hell!"

"If we have a few days – talk to your mother in the morning, and I like your scent just the way it is right now, so don't go washing it off." He relaxed his claw and brought the hand up to stroke across her stomach.

She looked up at him; his face was relaxed, full of predatory ownership and possession. Damn him. She wanted him to look at her like that, damn it. She really didn't want to move, didn't want to leave the warmth of his side. She snuggled up against his chest.

"Fine, but you are still replacing my sheets." He chuckled against her.

"They'll need it – cuz I ain't done with you yet."

"Victor, we need to talk – plan for what's coming." She said.

"And we have time."

"Not necessarily, I don't want to be caught unprepared."

"What kind of planning can we do – they're Vampires for crying out loud." He snarled.

"Well – for starters, did you grab a knife from the office?"

"No – I have my claws, that will be good enough."

"Not necessarily, there is a protective sheath around a Vampire spine, and I've never been able to cut it with my claws. It takes a knife, I use steel, but I'm guessing Wolverine's claws might work, but I don't think there are any adamantium blades out there."

"In other words…"

"This is one of those times when claws get in the way."

"Fine – do you have an extra blade around here?"

"Yes – my backups" She pointed to the nightstand drawer. He rolled over and opened it.

"Those aren't backup!" He said as he pulled out her matched pair of .38s.

"Those are in case they bring Lycanthropes with them." He glared at her as she showed him the silver tipped ammunition, and then he pulled out two of the curved Khurkri blades out of the drawer.

"Pick one." She said with a smile. "My good one is right here." She pulled her favorite out from under her pillow.

"Damn, woman, sleeping with you is dangerous." He muttered, as he tested the two blades, finally selecting one and slipping it under the other pillow. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Can't think of a thing – oh wait, Angus has a key to the house, so he might stop by later."

"What's the deal with him – you said you'd explain." He lay on his side, leaning his head on one hand as he watched her.

"He's cursed – can't die, can't have kids, and until he reacted to Myst, I thought couldn't have sex."

"DAMN! Poor guy" he chuckled "can't die and can't have any fun. No wonder he hunts Vampires."

"Yeah he decided he didn't like them about three hundred years ago – been killing them since."

"Three hundred…?"

"He's thrown the number two thousand around a couple times – I don't know if I believe him or not." Risa looked over at him, one of her hands under her head as she watched him watching her. With his free hand he traced lazy circles on her stomach with one claw.

"So – you missed me." He whispered. She knew he needed to hear it, but a part of her wanted to scream her independence at him.

"Yeah – you're good for something."

"What's that?"

"You beat my vibrator…hands down." He glared at her.

"Am I gonna have to prove that – again." He growled.

"I'm game." She grinned back. He chuckled, his hand still moving on her stomach.

"Don't." He said softly.

"Don't what?"

"I need the truth." His voice was hard, his eyes harder.

"Victor, I missed you, I need you, and not just for sex."

"I need to believe that." She hated the look on his face – it was way too vulnerable, way to broken. She had to get him back – back on his feet, back at the top of his game. She needed to be able to trust him with her back, not worry about him losing it.

"Victor, you are my mate. I need you." She said it softly, but without any humor, any teasing. She needed him to know he could count on her – and she needed to know she could count on him. She had no idea what was coming – but the idea of six of the most powerful Vampires in the world coming after her for revenge had her quaking in her boots.

"Risa – this isn't about them – about what's coming." He whispered. "I need to know – are you stayin here – or coming back with me?"

"I want to go with you. I'm done here. Mom's fine, my father's in prison, my grandparents are there, and doing well, there's nothing holding me here, at least not anything desperate. I miss you – and the camp, and the work we were doing. It's not JUST you – but you are a huge part of it. I like what I'm doing, but I can do that anywhere."

"You're not just sayin that?"

"No."

"Then I want you to pack – I can protect you better with the Brotherhood."

"Victor – I don't need protection – I need a mate."

"What?"

"Don't you get it – I'm not a kid anymore. In my own way I'm probably as deadly as you are. I need a partner, a mate, someone to watch my back, not throw a protective blanket over me and tie me down. If that's what you want, I won't do it."

"I don't know any other way."

"Well – I sure as hell hope an old Sabretooth can learn new tricks." He chuckled at that.

They both started at the sound of a key in the lock.

"That better be Angus." Risa said, climbing out of bed and pulling on a robe, then grabbing the knife from under her pillow.

She opened the bedroom door, a low growl in her throat.

"Lassie – tis me, I brought yer laddie there some clean clothes." He actually sounded HAPPY!

"In the bedroom." She shouted down the hall. She heard a snort from her mother's room and the door opened.

"Good – you're still up. I hope Robert doesn't mind you coming over to stay for a while. Things are going to get ugly – quickly soon."

"Marissa…"

"Mom I want you out of the line of fire, okay." She said.

"Is it that serious?"

"Yes, Mom."

"I called Robert earlier. He asked me to come stay with him for a few days – until you decide what you are going to do."

"You don't have to worry about finances." Victor said from behind her. She glanced back. He'd just wrapped the bedspread around him, and grabbed his own knife. "I'll take care of it."

"I DON'T want your help, Mr. Creed." Her mother said, frostily.

"You're technically family – don't push." He growled. "I didn't ASK, I said I'll take care of it, what you want doesn't matter worth shit to me."

Her mother's eyes were as large as saucers.

"Both of you quit." Risa snapped at them. "Mother, please go stay with Robert for a few days. As soon as Vic is on his feet, I'm going back to Canada with him." At least both Angus and her mother were here to hear it, so she only had to say it once.

"I suspected as much, Lass." Angus grinned, "I might just be persuaded ta join ye."

"I'm not surprised. Why you love that monster I have no idea…" she felt Victor jump behind her, and glared at her mother "but, I guess if I am ever going to have grandchildren I probably ought to accept reality."

"Mom – chill – kids are a LONG way off." She said.

"I wish you would go back and finish college – but considering who your 'mate' is, that might be asking too much."

"And why's that?" Victor growled from behind her.

"Well you don't exactly strike me as the 'educated' sort." Her mother snapped back.

"I'll remember that, next time I pull my Phd out to admire it."

"YOU have a doctorate – in what, human anatomy?"

"Theoretical Math, actually."

"What?"

"But that's just one of them – have one in accounting too."

"I told you he had math books that made my head spin, Mom."

"SHIT!" He muttered behind her.

"What?" Risa turned to glare at him.

"Just remembered I was supposed to meet with my editor last month, he's going to kill me."

"Editor?" Her mother looked at him in disbelief.

"Yeah – I wrote a textbook – I think UNLV is adopting it for the accounting and economics class…I've had a little free time lately – like the last five years." He chuckled.

"Oh, took a break from murder and mayhem did you?" Her mother quipped.

"No – just rape." Victor quipped back. "That gave me enough time to write a book."

"BOTH of you QUIT!" Risa snapped. "YOU pack." She said pointing at her mother. "YOU room" She said pointing at Angus and Victor. She wasn't sure what was worse, the outrageous lies he'd told her mother – or her mother blurting out that she loved him. She wanted to kill them both.

XXXXXXXXXX

He grinned as he turned back into the bedroom. Angus and Risa followed, and Angus dumped a plastic bag on the bed. He dug around in it and pulled out some clean clothes to slip on instead of the bedspread around his waist. He was still digesting that she'd told her mother she loved him. He wasn't ready for that – physically he needed her, but he wasn't going to put up with that frail crap.

He wasn't paying attention to the two of them whispering behind him – if he wanted to he'd hear what they were saying, but right now, he just wasn't sure how to deal with Risa. He wanted her – hell he needed her. He wasn't going to let her get a hold on him again though. Those marks were off limits. The last time he'd had to let her go, it had taken him MONTHS to be able to sleep again, and almost a year before the dreams of her soft skin and scent had stopped waking him up with a very frail whimper in his throat, and his body curled into a fetal position, reaching for a woman that wasn't there.

"…Victor and I can't do this alone. I need your help Angus."

"Lass – I'm here, and I'll back ye, ye know that. I'm already packed, I don' carry much anyway, makes it easier to pull up stakes."

"You're serious about coming with us?"

"Aye."

"Good." He heard a spike of fear in her voice. She was afraid – not of him, not of what a life with him would be like, but of these Vampires. He didn't like that…not one bit. His frail SHOULD be afraid of him. He bit back the growl. She'd learn…or she'd…

It hit him – she was like him, not only with the healing factor, but something else, something that made people clear an aisle when he walked through a crowd. He thought of it as his killing instinct – but there was something more to it. He'd seen it, even in the way the Vampire had dealt with her; it was something that earned respect – respect and fear.

Maybe she was right – maybe he needed to learn some new tricks. He'd been trying to avoid thinking about WHY the Vampire been able to lure him in. He wanted to think it was just possession, just that Fountain had taken something of his, but he had a sinking feeling it was something more – something weak and frail, and would destroy him in the end.

He'd sacrificed, let that Fountain and his brides torture him – torment him – rape him, just to keep her safe, and he wasn't ready to poke at the reasons behind that. They'd almost broken him, all because of that slip of a feral female that could just touch that spot on her neck and have him panting for more – that could just touch the spot on his neck with her fingers or mouth and send him crashing to the most intense orgasms he'd ever had.

He turned around and looked at them looking at him.

"What?"

"Ye ready ta get out of here?"

"I've been ready." He growled at the other man.

"Victor you need rest."

"Angus can drive; I'll rest in the car. You still have a bag packed and ready to go?"

"Of course, I told you I did." She reached under the bed and pulled out the pack he'd bought her years ago.

"Tell me you've repacked it – lately. I don't think the stuff from when you were fifteen will still fit." He snarled.

"I'm not an idiot – as much as you'd like to think I am – I'm beginning to wonder who needed to grow up more in this relationship." She snapped.

"Shut the fuck up, woman and get moving." He snarled.

He could hear her muttering as he grabbed the plastic bag. He'd have Angus stop and let him pick up a pack and some more gear. He strapped the knife to his belt, and glared at her. She was still wearing her robe.

"I said get moving – unless you want me to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here in that robe."

He carried his small bundle to the living room and sat down to wait. Angus followed him, carrying his and Risa's bags.

"Ye might want ta tone it down a bit…she's got quite a temper." He said as he dropped onto the couch next to Victor.

"She'll learn who's boss again." Victor snarled.

"Laddie – I'm afraid it'll be you who does the learnin." Victor just glared at the Scotsman. Like hell.


	15. Chapter 15

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (14/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

They took Angus's truck; it was one of those large ones with an extended cab and full backseat. Angus and Victor were riding in the front, with the seats back all the way, Risa was curled up in the back seat, not looking at either of them…and hers and Angus's packs were crammed into the floorboards at her feet.

She kept glaring at Victor, and at the back of Angus's head. Every once in a while Victor would hear her mutter "I don't see why I couldn't have shotgun…it's my spot, damn it." Victor had to bite his lip to keep from chuckling. The girl would learn the rules again – some of them she remembered damned well. He turned his head to look out the window as he remembered earlier, her body under him, giving him everything he asked. Her foot on the back of his head made him turn and growl.

"Would ye two quit…I'm tryin te drive here." Angus snarled at both of them.

"Tell that smug self satisfied interloper to get the fuck out of my seat." Risa snapped petulantly.

"Interloper? I'm your fuckin' mate, Darlin, and you'd best be remembering that." Victor snarled back at her.

"Yeah – and I'm the one that the Vamps are going to be after – and I'm the one in the fucking back seat, and can't make a quick exit from this fucking truck if we get attacked." She snapped back.

"It's a bucket seat. You could sit in the middle."

"FUCK THAT! My ass isn't going to be bruised and abused – and STILL not be able to make a fast getaway." He just snarled at her and turned away. She was just going to have to remember who ran this show. She was in danger because of him – and he was going to protect her damn it.

He made Angus pull into one of those large discount stores and snarled at both of them to stay put. He silently thanked her for having cash on hand for him. He quickly made his purchases – enough clothes and gear to last until they made it back to the camp and the rest of his gear. He climbed back into the truck and tucked the new bag in the back with the gear…and an angry spitting feral female.

He glared at her, daring her to say anything, and settled back into the passenger seat. Angus took off, and headed north.

"Might have a little trouble at the border – ye don't have any papers laddie."

"Never worried about it before, I know all the back ways that are unguarded."

"Fair enough."

Mystique had stayed behind in Dallas; she was going to lay a false trail, disguised as both Risa and Angus, so that the Vampires would think they were still in town. She'd join them later, back in the camp. He turned his head to look out the window. He was barely containing the anger and was trying to understand exactly why he was so pissed at Risa.

She'd bent over backwards to take care of him, put herself in life threatening danger by killing a God dammed Vampire Head to rescue him…and that's when it hit him. She'd had to rescue him. He was the male, damn it. It was his job to protect and defend his mate and cubs. He didn't want his mate having to protect him, damn it. He remembered what she said, about wanting a partner, someone who would have her back…and not wrap her up and smother her to protect her. Well she was just going to have to change her tune, because she was his fucking mate and he was fucking GOING to protect her.

He could feel her eyes boring into the back of his head, and he tried to ignore it. He knew she could smell his anger, his frustration and frankly didn't care. She needed to remember that he was the one in charge in this pairing – she was the female. Her foot in the back of his head again made him turn, his claws out ready to slap her into place. Her own claws were out – and so was her knife.

"I said QUIT!" Angus roared at both of them. "Either ye two come ta an understandin' or ye're both walkin ta fuckin Canada."

"Tell Mr. Male Chauvinist there to get his fucking emotions under control. I don't give a shit what goes on between his ears, but I don't want to have to damned well SMELL it." Risa snarled.

Victor just snarled back at her – once he had her back in camp, back in his tent, she'd remember who was in charge.

"Not on your life, Asshole." She growled. "You are so predictable."

"What?"

"You want your Mouse back – but fuck you. Ain't happening; I grew up, I'm not fifteen anymore and I don't really NEED you for anything. I sure as hell don't need your protection anymore."

"You didn't put an END on the deal, Darlin. You belong to me – you do what I want, and I protect you, that IS the deal. You didn't say – 'till I can take care of myself.'" He snarled back at her.

"Are you still protecting the others?" She snapped anger blazing in her eyes.

"Yeah."

"Oh." She puckered her lips and glared at him.

"I KEEP my word – what about you, Mouse?"

"Fuck you."

"That's part of the deal." He growled low.

"Angus, let me out. I think I'll have a better chance with the fucking Vamps."

"Stop the truck, Prince Charlie, and we'll find out just how immortal you are." Victor snarled at Angus.

"Both of ye leave me the fuck oot of it." They both glared at the Scot who continued. "It seems ta me, ye both want the same thing – each other. Victor, Mari's not the child ye knew. Ye are the one that sent her away, so ye can't jest expect her ta be yer little lassie anymore. And Mari, he only remembers ye that way, ye're gonna have te give the laddie some time ta adjust. Ye've made a lot of changes – growin up an' all – and the lad's not ready fer some of them. Ye BOTH need ta calm down. It ain't goin' te be fixed overnight – not even with a good fuckin."

Risa grumbled – but settled back into the back seat and ignored them both again. Victor snarled at the Scot for being right and turned to look out the window. They'd both seen him vulnerable, they'd both seen him weakened to the point of breaking, and all he really wanted at the moment was to get away, to find something to kill, to fight, to destroy to prove to himself that he was still Sabretooth, and to force her to see him the way he had been – not the way he was in that cell. She was feeling protective and nurturing toward him – and he didn't want that. HE didn't need protection, damn it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She could smell his anger – his frustration – his fear, and it was the fear that bothered her the most. He was Sabretooth, for God's sake, he didn't know fear, and now, he reeked of it. She knew her mother blurting things out hadn't helped, Risa knew how he felt about all that frail emotional crap, and he'd made his position known on that years ago. She was fighting hard against him, because it would be so easy to just let him take over, to protect her, to take care of her, but she didn't want that. She wanted him to respect her, treat her as an equal, a partner, not a burden.

They were nearly as immortal as Angus, the two of them, and if she was going to be stuck with his arrogant egotistical male chauvinist ass, she was going to have to lay down some serious equality groundwork, or he'd walk all over her for the next couple of centuries…and she WASN'T putting up with that. He was just going to have to get it through his thick head that she wasn't that scared kid anymore.

"So Mari…did ye pack all the ammo?"

"Packed all I had – we didn't go by the office, remember."

"I did - most of the ammo and guns are in the back."

"Why?"

"Lycan problems…?"

"WHAT!?" She sat up and looked over the back of the front seat. There were ten of them, blocking the road in a roadblock. They were about ten cars back. "SHIT!"

She opened the window into the bed of the truck and slipped through it. He was right; he'd packed most of the stuff from the office before coming by the house. Now she knew why their bags were in the back seat with her. She quickly found her .9mm, and an extra couple of clips, and grabbed his .45. She grabbed an extra .45 with extra ammo for Victor and slithered back into the cab. She discreetly handed the two guns up into the front seat, and Victor glared at her when she handed him his.

"Lycans…" She pointed ahead at the roadblock.

"I know – I have friends that turn furry." He snarled, but took the gun. "I know what they smell like."

She had no idea who or what they were looking for, and five of them were wearing police uniforms, which didn't look good. They were about a hundred miles outside of Dallas, just over the Oklahoma border.

"Keep yours hidden – Angus and I both have permits to carry across state lines."

"Shit." He snarled but slid it into the back of his jeans, under his shirt.

"Do you think this has anything to do with us?" She asked Angus.

"Na, Oklahoma's doin some training, and random searchin for drugs for months now."

"Well we're covered, if all else fails we always have our standby." She pulled the pile of warrants out of the back of his seat.

Angus chuckled…"We've got better than that…Boyo put these on." He handed Victor a set of cuffs.

"WHAT!?" He snarled at Angus.

"We're bounty hunters…and yer' wanted. We're transportin' ya. That's our story…give Mari yer gun, fer now. After we're through, she'll give it back and uncuff ya." He growled but complied. She was shocked. She thought he'd fight it.

"License and registration please?" The officer said as they pulled to the roadblock.

Angus handed him his license, the registration for the truck, and his bounty hunters license. Risa reached up and handed over hers as well.

"We've heard of you two, good work down in Texas. You huntin' or transportin'?" The officer asked.

"Transportin'" Angus pointed at Victor.

"That's a big boy, you need any help."

"The lassie and I have it under control." The Lycan officer glanced at her, and she wanted to claw his eyes out, the way they moved across her body. She heard Victor's low growl starting and cuffed him on the back of the head.

"Settle down." She snapped. The officer laughed and shook Angus's hand.

"Be careful. There's been some kind of stir up in the Vampire community, and they are worse than usual."

"Thanks for the warnin' laddie, I will." The officer waved them through and they all heaved a small sigh of relief.

Risa waited until the blockade was out of sight and reached up to unlock the cuffs. She put Victor's gun on the seat next to him. He growled at her, but picked it up

"Expecting more trouble?"

"No but it's better to be safe than sorry." She said, he just nodded, and slipped the gun back into the waistband of his jeans. She noticed he was still very thin, his ribs almost poking through the skin of his back as he lifted his shirt.

"We stoppin' for lunch?" She asked.

"I'll pull through a drive through, I don't want ta stop for long. We don't know how long they'll be disorganized before they start after us."

"Right, make sure you order double for Vic. He's still way underweight."

"WOMAN!" Victor roared at her. "I'm capable of takin' care of that myself."

"No shit – but you're my mate, and that's my job, live with it – or DON'T!" She snarled back.

"What the fuck does that mean." He snarled at her.

She'd wanted to wait until they were at the camp to tell him, that the marks weren't permanent, that the bond could be broken, if he wanted it to be. He sure as hell didn't seem to want HER as she was, and she wasn't going to be making a whole lot of changes for him.

"This thing…" She pointed at her neck "will go away in time, if we want it to. So if you don't want to put up with my shit – you don't have to. We can just go our separate ways."

She glared at him, trying to hide the pain she was feeling behind the anger she was projecting at him.

"What?"

"Yeah…"

"FUCK!" He snarled. "You just don't get it."

"MARI!" Angus shouted. "That…jest shut the fuck up girl."

"He had a right to know. He's got an out if he wants it." She said, and lay back down on the back seat and closed her eyes. It would kill her if he took it, maybe literally, but she wasn't going to force him to stay with her if he didn't want to. She wasn't going back to being his 'Mouse' and he didn't seem to want to accept her for what she had become.

"This isn't the time for this, lass."

"Butt the fuck out, Angus. Not any of your business." She said. She could feel Victor's eyes on her, but she wasn't opening hers. She was too afraid of what she'd see in his. She could smell his anger.

"Is that what YOU want, Risa?" His voice was soft, softer than she'd heard it in a long time.

"No, but I'm not sure I can be what you want me to be."

"And what's that?" He growled.

"Helpless, dependent, needing you to take care of me and protect me, I can't do that anymore. I'm not that kid anymore. I can take care of myself, and I don't NEED protection, I can take care of that."

"Risa!" She could smell his anger and frustration, but she wasn't backing down. "This isn't the time for this. Let's get through this mess, deal with this later."

"Whatever." She said. "I'm going to sleep, Angus don't order me any lunch, I'll eat at dinner, and just let me sleep through."

"Right."

"Like hell." Victor roared.

"Victor – leave her alone." Angus said softly.

He growled, but she heard him shift and knew he'd gone back to looking out the window.

"It might not be a bad idea for you ta get a wee bit of shut eye, laddie. We're gonna be drivin in shifts, and ye'll have the third – when we get ta the border."

"Right." She heard the grumble in his chest. She felt the seat back lean back almost against her legs, and his fingers brushed her knees when he threw his arm up over his head on the headrest. Somehow, even that light touch was enough for her to relax.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He was sitting behind the wheel, watching the crossing point. The US had cracked down on border security, but there were always holes if you knew what to look for. Tonight was going to be easy. The truck was nearly silent, and the arctic blast that had ripped through the area had the guards rushing their patrols. There would be about a half an hour window between patrols, instead of five minutes, he just had to wait until this group was through, and out of the way. The cameras were going to be offline, thanks to a call he'd made at their last stop. All they had to do was wait, and drive right across.

The new security measures made it harder on the main roads, but there were too many back roads and old logging trails, farm roads and tracking trails that the border patrols couldn't patrol all of it, not with any efficiency. This group was cold, and from the sounds of things hungry and wanting to get back to their posting station for a hot meal and warm blankets. They finished up quicker than he thought, and loaded up into the patrol vehicle. He waited until the lights on the top of the cameras started flashing and eased the truck down the old farm road. Ten minutes later, after a brief stop to change the tag on the truck, they were on a major highway heading for the camp's location.

He glanced over at Risa in the seat next to him. Angus had claimed the back seat after the last stop so he could get some sleep, and the only sound in the cab had been his snores. She hadn't looked at him – hadn't spoken to him since she woke up.

"We're almost home." He said softly.

"Yeah." She replied.

"Risa…I don't know…what do you want from me?"

"You're Sabretooth; why the fuck should you care what I want?" He was shocked by the cold tone in her voice.

"Because I do." He hated admitting to something so frail, but since she'd told him that the marks could fade, he'd been trying to imagine what his life would be like without her only a touch away. The last five years had been the only time in his life he hadn't felt alone – abandoned by the world. He'd stopped hating; hating humans, hating himself. He'd started building, something he'd never done before, but then again, he'd never been able to look to the future before either.

"What kind of frail shit is that?" She snapped.

"The kind you better shut the fuck up and listen to." He snarled back. "I'm givin' you a chance here; ta tell me what you want, what YOU need from me. If I don't know, I can't try, and you're worth tryin' for."

"What?"

"Don't – I don't do the frail shit – but you're still wearin' my mother's ring, which means somethin." He watched her spin the ring on her finger. "So, Angus was right, I need ta get ta know you all over again; and if ya don't want me anymore, I need ta know that too."

"Victor." He hoped she wouldn't push. This was as close as he'd ever gotten to telling a frail he gave a shit. She heaved a huge sigh and then started to speak. "I want you to let me be me. I'm not an extension of you, I'm not a doll, and I'm not breakable. I don't need protection anymore, at least not like I did. I need someone who'll listen when I need to rant, who'll have my back in a fight, but will LET me fight if I want to. There'll be times when I'll need taken care of, and I need to rely on you for that, but I don't need to be smothered. I'm not a kid – and I'm not stupid – and I'm not frail, and I need you to respect that."

"Can ya give me time…respect is earned, and you've picked up quite a few points lately, but it ain't somethin' I give away? I'll try ta work on the protection thing, but you're my mate, damn it, if you get hurt it's my fault, because I'm not doin my job. As for bein' you, when haven't I let you be you…you fucking attacked me because I was trying to let you be you – that's how I got this fucking scar in the first place, remember." He heard her try to smother the chuckle. "I don't want a doll, I want a mate, someone that I can leave at home and know that my cubs are safe with her while I'm gone."

"CUBS!"

"Someday."

"You're thinking about KIDS!"

"Someday."

"What if I don't want kids?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it – can we concentrate on surviving the next few months first?"

"How about the next few days?"

"You think it will be that quick – this attack?"

"Maybe – we bought some time, leaving Dallas, but they'll track us."

"Ok the next few days – this isn't easy, I've never been…like this."

"I know."

"That stuff…your mother said, is it true?"

"What that you're a monster – sometimes?"

"No. the other stuff." He growled.

"That I love you?"

"Yeah – that."

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Fuck you too." She growled.

"Anytime."

They were both silent for a while, and he glanced over at her. She was looking out the window, and he reached over and took her hand in his, caressing the ring on her finger.

"You're the only woman I've ever trusted with this." He said softly.

"I know."

"Good."

Her fingers laced with his, and he knew she understood. He didn't know if he would ever be able to say the words, even though he knew she needed to hear them, but she understood what he meant.


	16. Chapter 16

Title: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! (16/?)

Author: Leonaria

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Family

Rating: M (entire story, I'm not going to be careful, this is Creed we are talking about here)

Summary: The plight of mutants just got worse, with the legal recognition of Vampires and Lycanthropes as protected classes in the United States and the European Union, Mutants aren't even third class citizens – they have no status at all. One young mutant becomes active in this new world, and turns to the only haven of safety, the Brotherhood, however the Brotherhood is having growing pains of its own. She turns to the one person who can protect her from the rival factions, but is she safe, or will his claws and fangs rip her to pieces.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Victor parked the truck near his usual hiding place. His camouflage tarp was still there and they draped it over the truck. They unloaded only the essentials, loaded weapons and extra ammunition, their blades, and their backpacks. None of the trio said much as they started the hike to the camp. Angus was the only one unfamiliar with the landscape, but Victor didn't doubt his ability to navigate it.

It was the silence of the forest that had him on high alert. This far out from camp you could usually hear normal night time forest noises, nocturnal animals scurrying for food, but the forest was completely silent except for their footsteps. He kept glancing back at the two following him but they just weren't making enough noise to account for the deathly silence.

"Victor…?" Risa whispered.

"I hear it." He snarled quietly. Angus just nodded; all three of them loosened their blades in their sheaths. He noticed Angus take a defensive position behind Risa and nodded to the Scot, she was the one they wanted, and the damned bloodsuckers were going to have to go through the males to reach her. He caught the disgusted look in her eye and just snarled at her.

They moved slowly, Victor on point with Risa tucked safely in behind him and in front of Angus; so far he couldn't hear anything out of place but the silence. The normally hour long hike took almost twice that time, but he wasn't taking any chances, not now.

The camp was quiet when they got there – and a disaster. Tents were ripped; the permanent dining hall was missing one wall and half the roof. Victor let out a low growl as he made his way to his normal camp site. His – no their tent was still there, her things still neatly folded on 'her' side of the tent.

"Damn, Vic, and I thought I was a pack rat." She muttered as she dropped her gear on her old bed roll. He snarled again, and picked it up, dropping it next to his on the bed. "You get the bed roll, Angus."

"Thanks – but I'll find me own place ta bunk." He said, dropping the pack on the canvas floor. The three of them walked back out, hands on knife hilts, and looking for any sign of a living soul.

"Creed – where the fuck have you been…" the blonde fire starter snapped as he stepped from behind the ruined dining hall.

"Pyro what the hell happened?" Victor snarled, making sure Risa was behind him and away from the younger mutant. His hair was caked with blood, his hands shaking, and Victor snarled as Risa pushed past him and helped Pyro ease down onto one of the still upright benches.

"Victor he's hurt." She snapped.

"He can still…" Victor started to snarl when a sharp snap grabbed his attention. He spun facing toward the natural amphitheater. She stepped out of the shadow of a tree.

"Well you are a sight for sore eyes." Her voice washed over him like liquid silk, and he let out a low growl of protest and warning.

"Hello, Cleo." Risa snapped, glaring at him.

"Marissa Green, it's a pleasure to see you again." The Bear moved gracefully toward his mate, and Victor let out another low growl of warning.

"I'm not going to hurt her, Victor. I came to give you a message."

"What kind of a message?"

"WE are not angry, to be honest the six of us agree that Fountain was dangerous to human and Vampire alike. I brought them here to Canada and we had a meeting and have agreed to stay out of this mess, IF we can."

"What do you mean, if you can?" Risa asked, standing up and walking to Victor's side. He let out an approving snarl and she just glared at him.

"We are hoping that things can be settled quickly – and without any more bloodshed."

"Anymore?"

"Yes – this attack was by a group no longer controlled by th Fountain. We tried to stop it but were unable to do so and are still unable to track the ones responsible. They are out of our control."

"How can we believe you?"

"Victor, you should know me better than that by now. I never like unnecessary bloodshed, and this was unnecessary."

He let out a low growl in response but nodded.

"What do you mean settled?" Angus asked.

"I've heard of you, Angus McDonnell. There will have to be someone who takes control of the brood that Fountain left behind. None of the Heads can do it, none of them share our blood. We can't control them. We are hoping one of their own will step forward and take control, or force them under some semblance of control before…well none of us want THAT to happen."

"What?" Victor growled.

"The Body to become aware of what has happened." Victor hated the smell a Vampire gave off when it was afraid – and she was very afraid.

"The Body?"

"We call ourselves Hydra for a reason, Victor. There is a Body to the beast, a master that created all of us."

"That's not good."

"Always the master of understatement." Risa muttered under her breath.

"Pyro, where is everyone." Victor glared at Risa as he turned to the injured mutant.

"I'm not telling you with her here, Magneto's orders." Pyro said. "I came back to see if there were any more survivors in camp."

"Good enough. Go and tell them to stay low, this doesn't involve them."

"They took about twenty, ones with any form of healing factor…"

"We'll get them back, unharmed, unless the Body joins the fight, and I can't guarantee what will happen – as we control our bloodlines – she controls hers."

"She?"

"Victor – sometimes it is the female that's the most dangerous of a species." Risa snarled at him. He just snarled in response. Pyro slipped away from the group and into the forest. Victor almost let out a small smile of accomplishment; the boy had learned something over the years.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Risa glared up at her smug self satisfied mate. She was going to give him hell when this was all said and done. His protective instincts were going to drive her insane, and Angus was just about as bad.

Victor just started through the rubble of the building, looking for something.

"So this Body – it's old?" Risa asked the Vampire standing in a patch of early morning sunlight. "Older than you?"

"Far…She was old and powerful when I met her over two thousand years ago."

"Does age make a difference - I mean Fountain dropped as easily as a drone?" Risa snarled.

"Yes, age makes a difference, Fountain was careless, and you wouldn't find me as easy a prey. Our numbers make her stronger – as our children make us stronger. I don't know exactly what causes it – whatever made us what we are is alive inside us. As it reproduces, grows, spreads, it creates a link in our life forces, feeding back to the one that spread the 'virus' for lack of a better word."

"Like your telepathy?"

"Exactly – any member of a bloodline can communicate with any other that shares the same blood – and that includes all Vampires, since we all share her blood."

"But you can't pick up other telepaths?"

"No…until recently that wasn't an issue, and it was an advantage over humans that we could communicate over great distances, not so much anymore."

Risa snorted.

"You three need to stay on the move, until his brood is settled. None of the heads will harm you, but we cannot control his minions."

"I thought you just said…"

"Communicate with yes, control no, only SHE could do that. Basically right now we have six major heads and one neck that has grown a hundred, each with its own bloodline."

"Great." Victor snarled. Risa glared at him. "I'm not laying blame, just…fuck it."

The Bear laughed and slipped into the shadows.

"They've taken refuge not far from here, but we can't count on them. Magneto's right, this isn't their war." Victor said.

"What? How did you know that?" She knew Pyro hadn't said anything and she didn't see any sign of Magneto around.

"Risa – we worked out a system while you were gone, something the Vamps and Lycans didn't know, to leave messages."

"Oh…"

"The world didn't stop because you were gone, Darlin." He snarled.

"I didn't expect it to." She snarled back.

"Do you two mind…can we save the 'who is the most alpha' for another time?" Angus snapped at both of them. "We seem ta have a rather large problem on our hands."

"What?"

Angus pointed his chin at the forest to their left. Risa glanced over and saw them, about thirty of them slipping out of the shadows, many able to walk in the light.

"Shit."

"You took the word right out of my mouth, Darlin." Victor said grabbing her arm and pulling her close.

"That won't protect her – she belongs to us." One of the Vampires hissed.

"Last time I checked she belonged to me." Victor growled.

"But you belong to us." Another one said. Angus slipped up behind Victor and the three of them stood back to back blades in hand as the crowd moved closer, surrounding them.

"Tell me you have a plan for crowd control." Victor snapped.

"Kill as many as you can before you go down." Risa quipped.

"I was hoping for a little better than that." Victor growled.

"Less talk…" Angus snapped at both of them claymore out and ready to swing. The first Vampire that lunged was a young one, either that or inexperienced at combat, and left its neck open to a quick slice of Risa's Khurkri. The others paid no attention to the still torso or head as it rolled slowly down the slope. Another head rolled, this time from Victor's blade, and the rest of the Vampires lunged en masse.

Risa was barely able to keep herself from being buried by the press of bodies. One hand held her blade like a lifeline; the other slashed and clawed trying to keep her head above the swelling tide of undead. She could hear Victor's roars and Angus's battlecry but the tide of the battle started to pull her away from the males. A loud roar from her mate startled her as a clawed hand reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her against his side. She tried to hide her relief behind exasperation but he just grinned at her. She shrugged, and took a swipe at the Vampire attacking his back.

They were stumbling over bodies, but still the Vampires just kept coming. Risa felt herself falling backwards a press of undead about to bury her when a calm voice ripped through the carnage. Victor's arm snaked out and caught her against his side.

"ENOUGH!" It was said softly but with enough force that the entire press of bodies just melted away. Victor snarled trying to press her behind him, but Risa elbowed him and forced herself to stay at his side. "Is this how my children behave?"

Risa was stunned as the Vampire hoard, and there were far more than the original thirty she'd counted, fawned and crawled on the ground toward the voice. Risa couldn't see anything in the shadow where the voice emanated. Victor just let out another low growl, and then she stepped into the light.

Her skin was as black as midnight, not a natural pigment but pure black like obsidian or onyx, her eyes were deep blue and her hair was as black as her skin and flowed around her like a cloak to the ground.

"Are you the one that killed my son?" She asked as she stepped toward Victor. He snarled. "No – you're the one he was feeding on. It must have been you then." She turned to Angus.

"Wrong again." Risa said. The woman turned to her, nestled between the two large males.

"So protective of you, little one, why is that?"

"You ain't touchin' my mate." Victor snarled.

"So that's it…well that explains so much." She turned back to the fawning hoard. "Leave us." Risa watched as nearly one hundred Vampires faded into the shadows of the ever brightening forest.

"I am certain we can find a solution…somehow." The woman said as she sat down on one of the benches.

"What are you?"

"Don't you mean who?"

"I think we've figured that part out." Risa snapped. "They call you the Body."

"Yes – it was Quetzalcoatl that taught me the value of names; I find it amusing that someone who was known as the Feathered Serpent, is now called the Mammoth."

"Okay, so we know who The Mammoth, Fountain, The Bear and Stoker's Charge are, who are the rest?" Victor snarled.

She let out a deep throated laugh. "Well Ramses, the Serpent was my first 'child' the first who could reproduce others like him, then my Mammoth; The Golden One was next, Tsun Tsu." Risa watched as Vampires stepped out of the shadows, some with very displeased expressions and took places behind the black Body. "My Fountain was next, and quite the black sheep of the family, then my Bear, she's called that because I used to watch her bait bears, and she's my only daughter. Rising Light was next, Tokugawa, and finally Stoker's Charge, my Vlad, I called him the Dragon before that damned Irishman wrote that damned book."

The six remaining heads stood behind their mistress, many seeming unhappy to be there. The Bear wouldn't look at the trio standing there.

"And now – I've had to interrupt my peace – and shopping – to settle a dispute among my grandchildren, all because of you three. What am I going to do with you?"

"How did…?" Risa started to ask.

"How did I become what I am?"

"I guess…" Risa wasn't sure that was what she wanted to know, but if it kept the Vampire talking and gave their healing factors a chance to catch up, she wasn't going to complain.

"I was human – actually what you now call mutant, I have discovered over the years, I was in love with the son the chief of a neighboring village. I begged my father to arrange a marriage between us, but his father refused." The Vampires seemed to be settling down as if they had heard this before, and it was going to be a long telling.

Victor glanced down at Risa, and eased his arm away from in front of her. They didn't seem to be in any immediate danger, but all three kept their blades out and in their hands.

"I was insulted and so was my father. We went to war. On the battlefield I found my Shiva's body, he was nearly dead and I was devastated. I threw myself on him and in my grief I found myself drinking his blood from an open wound at his throat. We found out later that his father had refused because there was a plague in their village and Shiva had it and was dying. The virus in his body mutated in mine and I became unable to stand the light, unable to digest anything but blood. My father locked me up with only one girl from the village for company."

Risa shivered at the obvious ease in which she told a tale that had to be tens of thousands of years old.

"I lived for years, trying to understand what I had become. I started to experiment on the girl. She and I were close – in every way, she was my food, my lover, my friend and my slave. One day I bit too deeply, drew too much blood and she lay dying in our bed. I didn't know what to so I cut my wrist and forced her to drink my blood. It healed her – and she became like me. We were happy at first, until we discovered we couldn't feed on each other, only human blood would sustain us."

"She could leave and would lure back men to feed us until my father found out. He was furious and tried to burn us alive. We managed to slip away into the night, but trouble soon followed. My companion didn't want us to be without protection so she tried to create another like us – a man to take care of us, but it was a miserable failure. I didn't know then, but she was only a drone, and her failures drove her to madness. It was while fighting her off I found out how I could truly die. She attacked me and I defended myself with a blade, cutting off her head in the fight."

Risa heard the sadness in the Vampire's voice, she had a sneaking suspicion there was more to this tale than just an explanation.

"I was alone again, and afraid to try again to create another. I roamed for years, before making another attempt. That one was also a dismal failure. It took me centuries to understand exactly what the process should be, and by the time I was truly ready to create a companion, I had decided that my curse could influence the world. I chose, carefully, after creating and destroying many test creatures, to create as my first true child the leader of the most powerful empire at the time, my Ramses."

"Xerxes was my son, but not one of my favored ones. I didn't like what he was doing, and yes my children I was aware. I have no problem with ambition, but not at the expense of family." The others looked at her in surprise. "I was in the process of deciding what to do with him when these interlopers interfered with our family squabble, and NOW I have to decide what to do with them, because I cannot allow the murder of one of my children to go unpunished."

"What will you do with them, Mother?" The Bear asked, anger burning in her eyes, but Risa could see it was directed at the ebony creature.

"I cannot let the Fountain's children go uncontrolled."

"You are their creator – more than he was." Ramses said.

"But I have other plans, that don't include dealing with petty squabbles."

"What are you going to do with them?" Vlad asked, looking at the ferals a hungry glint in his eyes.

"I think I shall make the punishment fit the crime. Female come here."

"Over my dead body…" Victor growled.

"I am not going to hurt her, but for what I have planned I NEED her to at least be able to communicate with us."

"Fuck you."

"I doubt she'd let you." The Body grinned showing her teeth were as black as her skin, black but gleaming like jewels in her mouth.

"I don't owe you anything." Risa snarled.

"Ahhh but you do. YOU killed my son, YOU caused the havoc that made me interrupt my plans to deal with it, and I am NOT pleased." The Body moved quickly, more quickly than Victor or Angus could anticipate. She pinned Risa against a tree, one arm across her throat the other forcing her bleeding wrist into Risa's mouth.

The blood didn't have the normal coppery taste, it was rancid, like an old penny that had been left to weather. Risa gagged and tried to keep from swallowing any of it. Victor was roaring, but being held back by three of the oldest Vampires in the world. Angus was being restrained by the other three, and the host had slipped back out of the trees and was surrounding the struggling group.

She felt strange, her head burning as if something were forced open.

**There. Now you are mine.** She could feel the presence of the Body in her mind.

"I'm a mutant you can't turn me." Risa snarled.

"No – and I don't want to. I just want to know where you are – and what's going on. Your mutation allows you to access the telepathic network of our symbiotic virus. By having it in your body you become one of my children. You will never be a Vampire, but you will always be tied to us."

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY MATE!" Victor roared and flung two of the Vampires holding him back into the crowd behind him.

"ENOUGH! Your mate is safe, and unharmed. She will bear you fine sons but YOU will stay WITH her and protect her. She is now the Fountain – My Daughter, and will take the territory vacated by Xerxes. YOU – both of you - will help her get it back under control – by fear or persuasion it is up to you, I do NOT wish to be bothered by this petty bickering again."

Risa felt the order go down the line of vampires and she realize she could communicate with all of them – not just the Fountain's line. Her head was fuzzy but she quickly pushed them out and shook off the dizziness.

"Victor I'm all right."

**That's it reassure your mate. You are my Child now, but more powerful than any of the others. You are neither Lycanthrope, nor Vampire, nor fully Mutant now, but a hybrid of all three – as your children will be. He will accept it – or he will be restrained. I had planned on killing Xerxes myself, I was aware of what he was doing to your mate and did NOT like his plans. As you have discovered you can shut them out, and you can even shut me out, but not entirely. This is NOT a punishment, though they have to see it as such. YOU are the only one who can bring the Fountain's line under control. From there, we will have to see what our virus does to your fantastic lineage.**

Risa could hear the echo of the Body's mind as she passed her instructions down her bloodlines and the protest – and firm control the ancient Vampire exerted over her creations. They would accept it, because of the Body's will.

"Please, Risa – we should be on a first name basis now, don't you think." Her ebony smile sent a shiver of fear down Risa's spine. "I am Kali."

Risa felt her withdraw from her mind, and nearly collapsed under the pressure of all the vampire minds pressing in on her at once. She barely felt Victor's arms around her as he roared his displeasure at the surrounding undead.

"I'm alright." She whispered shakily as she gained control over her own mind again.

"I'll kill that bitch…" He snarled as he started to rise.

"No. Victor, let them go. Let her go. I don't mind, I think this just might be the best thing for everyone."

"Like HELL!" But he couldn't do anything to stop it; the undead were slipping away as he rose to confront them. Soon only Kali and the six heads remained.

"She will need your strength, do not fail her." Kali said to the snarling feral. Risa watched her mate struggle against the power of the Vampire's mind as she invaded his. The dawning understanding on both his and Angus's faces told Risa that the ancient one had convinced them as well.

"I still don't like it." Victor snarled, but gently helped Risa back to her feet.

"You don't have to like it; you just have to do it." The ebony Vampire said as she too faded into the shadows. "I give you one week to plan what you are going to do, and then I want to see action getting my errant descendants in line. I will not control them after that; it will be up to you three."

The others slipped into the shadows as well. Risa knew there wasn't anything supernatural about their departure, but it was still eerie. The only one who remained was Cleopatra.

"Welcome to the family, Little Sister." She whispered. "I will give you every assistance I can."

"Just stay out of my way." Risa said with a snarl. Kali said control by fear or persuasion, and Risa had all the tools she and Angus had developed for hunting and killing them, those same tools were going to be used to control them. It would take the whole week the ancient Vampire had given them, but by the time she released her control over the Fountain's bloodline, Risa and her network of Vampire Hunters would be ready to take control.


End file.
